TWO men waiting for the last bus home are lucky to be alive today after a high-powered car smashed into their shelter.

Police said the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo had overtaken another car in Accrington Road, heading into Blackburn, before it lost control and left the road last night.

It careered sideways into a bus shelter close to the junction of Cherry Street, leaving one man in his 20s with a broken leg, and another, aged 29, with cuts and bruises.

The five men inside the car were all described as walking wounded.

Police arrested the driver at the scene on suspicion of dangerous driving.

Accrington Road was closed at the junction of Burnley Road for several hours.

Blackburn Fire Station watch manager Caroline Sturgess said: “They were unfortunate to be in the wrong place at the wrong time but, on the other hand, they are very lucky to be alive.

"One of the men in the bus shelter was helping the other one with the leg injury.

"It is also fortunate the people in the car were relatively unscathed.”

Emergency services were called around 11.30pm.

The man hit by the car had a ‘visible open fracture of his shin’.

Police said the other man in the shelter had a grazed head.

Fire crews had to cut back the crumpled bus shelter to free the 18-year-old front seat passenger.

He had cuts and bruises to his face. The driver and three back seat passengers are all from Blackburn.

Inspector Dave Mangan confirmed: “A high-powered Mitsubishi Evo was overtaking another vehicle on Accrington Road when it lost control.

"The driver went sideways into a bus shelter, injuring two people waiting at the shelter.

“The driver has been arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving.”

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