THREE men were fighting for their lives after being thrown from a car early today.

Police said the driver appeared to have lost control of the vehicle, which then smashed into garden walls.

The man behind the wheel, Andrew Barlow, aged 28, of Jethro Street, Bradshaw, suffered a serious head injury.

The front seat passenger, Jason King, aged 30, of Tottington Road, Harwood, and back seat passenger Karl Entwistle, aged 21, of Chapman Road, Hoddlesden, were both taken to hospital with multiple injuries.

All three were critical in the Royal Bolton Hospital today.

The green Rover 216 GTi is believed to have been travelling south down Turton Road, near its junction with Ayr Drive, at 2.15am, when it left the carriageway, demolishing garden walls before landing in trees. All three men were thrown from the car.

Lee Moulton, who lives in one of the houses near to where the accident happened, said: "The bang was very loud."

Another Turton Road resident, David Lofthouse, said: "I could hear a car coming down the road at quite some speed. I rushed down to see what was going on.

"The passengers seemed to have been thrown out of the car. It was a very bad accident and the car was an absolute mess."

Police accident investigators began carrying out work at the scene and the road was closed for four hours. Sgt Ken Carter, of the Bolton Traffic Unit, said: "We are appealing for witnesses, although at this time in the morning there were probably not many people about."

Anyone with information should call 0161 856 5972.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident a critically injured motorist was airlifted to hospital after a head on collision with another vehicle yesterday.

Fire officers battled to cut Joan Miller, aged 49, of Hardy Mill Road, Harwood, out of her black Audi 80 which had collided with a Volkswagen Polo at 3.50pm on the Belmont Road between Belmont and Abbey Village.

She was taken by air ambulance to Blackburn Royal Infirmary, where she is being treated in Intensive Care for internal and head injuries. Her condition is said to be critical.