A bus driver had a miraculous escape after he was impaled by a metal rod when his vehicle smashed into railings.

The spike pinned him to his seat and missed a main artery by just a centimetre. The driver was trapped for an hour and a half as firefighters and paramedics worked together in a delicate rescue operation.

The man was airlifted to hospital with the spike still sticking through his leg.

Eight other people were injured when the bus ploughed into a number of cars after hitting the central reservation barrier. The accident, which happened just after noon yesterday, brought traffic to a standstill on Manchester Road, Bradford.

The citybound carriageway was closed near Broadway Avenue.

The double-decker First bus, with passengers on board, was heading towards the city centre when hit the central reservation, demolishing a section of it. It then lurched back to the inside, hitting five cars, at least three of which were parked. Roads policing officers are now investigating what caused the incident. Watch Commander Phil Warden, of Odsal station, said eight people, from the cars and the bus, were sitting on the kerb when they got to the scene. He said six were walking wounded, but two went to Bradford Royal Infirmary.

Mr Warden said: “The bus driver was impaled by a piece of metal handrail from the central reservation railing.

“It had come through the front of the bus, entered his right leg at the bottom of his hamstring and came out right at the top of his leg.

“The spike had then gone through the back of his seat and embedded itself in the bus.

“He was in a hell of a lot of pain, had lost a lot of blood and was in deep shock. A fast response paramedic was already with him and was speaking to him. He was conscious at that point but the medics later knocked him out with drugs so he could be released.”

Mr Warden said the rod had missed a main artery by only a centimetre. “If it had hit the artery he would have suffered massive blood loss and it could have been catastrophic.”

The bus was surrounded by a trail of destruction as the 90-minute rescue operation was carried out. Firefighters cut the roof off one car so the occupants could get out and severe damage could be seen to a black 4x4, a blue Ford Focus and a green Nissan.

Four road ambulances, two paramedic response cars and four fire engines, were at the scene. The air ambulance was landed on a church car park.

Crews cut the ends off the spike before his legs could be released and he could be lifted on to a stretcher. He was flown to Leeds General Infirmary.

Mr Warden said: “He was taken to hospital with the spike still in his leg. I have never dealt with an incident where a bus driver has been impaled before, and nor had anybody else on the team.”

Police said the bus driver had suffered serious, but not life-threatening leg injuries.