A MAN is lucky to be alive today after his car was wrecked in a head-on crash with a bus.

John Knott, aged 27, of Knott Lane, Doffcocker suffered serious leg injuries in the collision on Chorley Old Road near the junction with Doffcocker Lane yesterday.

Firefighters using hydraulic cutting gear took more than an hour to free Mr Worth from his VW Polo.

He was treated at the scene by paramedics and an emergency medical team from Royal Bolton Hospital's accident and emergency department.

Sgt Barry Fairclough of Bolton's Traffic Unit said Mr Worth was "extremely lucky to be alive."

He said: "The fact that anyone can come out of an accident like that with a badly broken leg is nothing short of a miracle."

Mr Worth was taken to Royal Bolton Hospital.

Police say that according to witnesses Mr Worth was attempting to overtake slower moving vehicles as he approached a left-hand bend going towards Horwich when he met a double decker Stagecoach bus.

Bus driver, Patrick Kelly and his five passengers escaped unhurt.

Police say there were independent witnesses to the crash but are appealing to the driver of a car overtaken by Mr Worth to come forward. Sgt Fairclough said the driver may not be aware of the accident.

Police closed the road for three hours between New Church Road and Whitecroft Road, while accident investigators were at the scene.

Workers from Bolton Council's Highways Department were also called out to clean the road, which was covered in oil and petrol.

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