Five pulled from car near Keswick before it burst into flames
Five people including three children were pulled from a car moments before it burst into flames after a crash.
Several members of the public have been praised for helping with the rescue after a Mercedes estate collided with a Ford Ranger SUV in the Lake District.
Cumbria Police said three people were flown to hospital after the crash on the A66 at Threlkeld, near Keswick, just after 9:20 BST.
The 43-year-old man driving the car suffered life-threatening injuries.
A spokesman for the Great North Air Ambulance said the man suffered chest injuries and multiple broken limbs and was "critical" in a Newcastle hospital.
Those travelling in the Mercedes were from Southampton, police said.
The front-seat passenger, a 43-year-old woman, was also flown to hospital along with one of three teenage children in the car.
Police said they suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries.
The other two children and the driver of the Ford, a 61-year-old woman from Sheffield, were taken to Carlisle Infirmary with minor injuries.
A Cumbria Police spokesman said: "The Mercedes estate did set on fire, but all the occupants were pulled free by members of the public.
"It was their quick reaction that ensured those involved were taken to safety prior to the car igniting."