The mother of a teenager who survived a two-car smash which claimed the lives of four people today paid tribute to a rescuer who came to his assistance.

Beverley Mullaney's son 18-year-old Christopher Simpson was a back seat passenger in a silver Ford Focus which went out-of-control and smashed into a Rover containing a family group, causing him multiple injuries.

Mrs Mullaney, of Grange Avenue, Allerton, said she wanted to thank the man who she believed had helped to save her son's life.

The driver of the Focus, mechanic Carl Jeffrey, 19, and his front seat passenger Jordan Rhodes, also 19, an amateur bodybuilding champion, both of Allerton, Bradford, died in the crash outside Thornton Grammar School, Bradford.

The crash also claimed the lives of Sakina Bi, 66, of White's View, Manningham, Bradford, who was a front seat passenger in the Rover, and a two-year-old Burnley boy, who died yesterday afternoon at Leeds General Infirmary.

The boy's six-year-old brother was today in a critical condition in the intensive care unit at the Leeds hospital.

Their 24-year-old mother and the driver of the Rover, a 26-year-old woman, of Bierley, Bradford, were in a serious but stable condition at Bradford Royal Infirmary.

Mrs Mullaney said: "He tried to get Carl out of the car and he saved Chris because the car was upside down and his leg was stuck.

"If it wasn't for this man, Chris wouldn't be here now, he saved his life and I just want to say a big thank you."

Mrs Mullaney said Christopher had told her what happened before he went into surgery at Bradford Royal Infirmary for neck and leg injuries.

"Carl was a mechanic and he was talking to somebody in the Jack and Jill pub and they asked him to have a drive round in their car - they never came back," she said.

Police said the Focus was overtaking a line of cars when it swerved out-of-control to avoid some bollards in the centre of the road and smashed into the oncoming green Rover in Thornton Road, Leavensthorpe, Bradford, at 8.45pm on Thursday.

Such was the impact that the Focus landed on top of the Rover before spinning over on to its roof.

Pictured: A mourner places flowers at the scene of the accident.