THE Southampton family who were pulled from a car moments before it burst into flames after being involved in a car crash are responding to treatment in hospital.

As reported by the Daily Echo the family of five which included three teenage children were rescued from their mangled car by other motorists.

The accident happened in the Lake District, where it is thought the family were holidaying.

Their car collided with a Ford Ranger SUV on the busy A66 at Threlkeld near Keswick.

The driver of the car, a 43- year-old man, was flown to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Newcastle by air ambulance with what police said were initially critical, potentially lifethreatening injuries. The Great North Air Ambulance said he suffered chest injuries and multiple broken limbs.

The front passenger, a woman of the same age, was flown to the same hospital with one of the teenagers.

Last night all the members of the family were said to be improving and were now in a “stable” condition.

A Cumbrian Constabulary spokeswoman said that investigations into how Saturday morning’s accident happened are continuing.

She said that officers are appealing for witnesses and had been in contact with a number of motorists who have already come forward to say that they helped at the scene.

One of those was David Whyatt, who was also on holiday in the Lake District with his family when he saw the accident happen.

He raced to the aid of the family, helping them from the wreckage.

Mr Whyatt, from Preston, said: “I am very pleased to hear the family are now stable.

“It was quite a traumatic thing to have seen but I would be more upset if I had done nothing.”