THIS is the moment caught on a pub’s CCTV camera when a driver was fatally injured in a head-on crash.

The 43-year-old man lost control of his black BMW for ‘unknown reasons’ and smashed into a silver Ford Mondeo estate on the Grane Road, near Haslingden.

The accident happened outside the Holden Arms pub on a notorious blind bend.

Staff from the pub, who said the scene was ‘absolute carnage’, raced to help and managed to force their way into the wreckage of the BMW But police said the man, who is originally from Accrington and now lives in Rochdale, died in hospital from his injuries.

The family in the other car, including a three-year-old child called Henry, miraculously survived.

The stretch of road is where the 50mph Grane Road becomes 30mph and has seen a number of traffic calming measure put in place due to campaigning residents and previous accidents.

Eyewitnesses Alex Robb, 33, and John Rostron, 31, had just finished their shifts as chefs at the Holden Arms and were having a cigarette outside the front of the pub.

John, from Haslingden, said: “I was facing up Grane Road towards Blackburn and saw the BMW coming towards me.

"The other car was driving past the pub.

“The BMW went wide at the bend and there was a massive collision.

"It was shocking to see.”

Mr Rostron ran into the pub to ring 999 as Alex went to help the stricken BMW driver.

Spotting the man was trapped, he ran back into the kitchen to grab a knife, prised the door open from the smoking wreck and cut away his seatbelt.

The man was conscious and talking, but had to be cut out of the wreckage using specialist equipment.

When paramedics arrived they were seen giving him emergency CPR but he died later that night.

Police are expected to reveal his identity after members of his family are informed.

Landlord and landlady John and Karen Shawcross, both 52 and from Helmshore, also ran out to help.

Karen used fire extinguishers on the smashed vehicles.

John, a former policeman, said: “It was absolute carnage.

"Both chefs were extremely brave to try and save this guy’s life.

“We heard the sound of the impact from inside the pub.

“I’ve come across a few horrific scenes like this in my time in the police and we did all we could to help.

“It’s a bad, dangerous road which people drive too fast along.”

The driver of the Mondeo, which spun off Grane Road and into the junction with Holcombe Road because of the force of the impact, his 44-year-old female passenger and three-year-old child were taken by ambulance to Royal Blackburn Hospital.

They were described by witnesses as ‘walking wounded, in shock and very fortunate’.

Police said the Mondeo driver, 50, was from Suffolk. It is believed they had been in the area on holiday.

The driver received treatment for a fractured collarbone and his passenger was detained with a bleed on the kidneys. Fortunately his son had no injuries.

Margaret and Michael Murray, have lived on the Grane Road for 35 years and have campaigned through their Grane Residents Association for improved road safety measures for the past 14 years.

Margaret said: “I just heard an almighty bang and went outside. People were screaming and frantically running to help. It was a traumatic scene.

“The speed of the road and the layout makes it an accident waiting to happen.

“As a residents association we are very sorry to hear of this tragic, terrible accident. It’s very sad this man has died.”

A spokesman for Rawtenstall Fire Station said the crews spent 90 minutes at the scene of the accident which happened at 10.30pm on Friday.

They had to cut through the wreckage of the BMW and police asked them not to turn off the engine so that they could get vital electronic information from the vehicle.

The spokesman said: "Apparently BMWs have a telemetry system where police accident investigators can find out the speed and when the brakes were used."

Sergeant Mick Young, from the Road Policing Unit, said ‘for unknown reasons’ the BMW had crossed onto the opposite carriageway on a left hand bend and collided with the silver Ford Mondeo being driven towards Blackburn.

He said: “I would urge anybody that witnessed the collision and has yet to come forward to contact the police on 0845 125 3545.”