Three people were injured, two of them seriously, in a head-on collision yesterday.

The crash happened in Pear Tree Lane, Chatham,just after 1am and involved a Toyota MR2 and a Ford Escort.

The crash was seen by a member of the public, who called the emergency services.

Firefighters worked to free a man a woman in the MR2 sports car.

The pair were deemed by paramedics to be more seriously injured than the Escort driver.

A spokesman for Kent Fire and Rescue Service, said: “We had to move fast as paramedics told us the man’s vital signs were fading.

“There was no time to cut off the roof; we just had to lift him out.

“A crew member then worked alongside paramedics as the man had stopped breathing. He had to be resuscitated.

“He was lucky the crew and the paramedics arrived on the scene so quickly and were able to save his life.

“He was stabilised and his female passenger was also treated a the scene as she was bleeding quite badly from a head wound.

“Both were then taken to Medway Maritime Hospital for treatment. All in all, we were on the scene for about an hour.”

A spokesman for Kent Police added: “The road was closed from 1.03am to 4.11am while investigations were carried out. "

Later, the injuries suffered by two people seriously hurt were said to be no longer life-threatening.

A man was arrested at the scene of the crash on suspicion of drink driving.