A driver who did not have a pulse when he was dragged out of his crashed car in Kenley yesterday morning is making a recovery in hospital.

The 29-year-old man was driving his vehicle along Godstone Road at about 1.50am when it clipped the kerb.

The car was airborne for a while before crashing into the gates of Jewson builders merchants.

It also hit a tree and snapped it in half before the car stopped in the middle of the road on its side.

Paramedics could not feel the man’s pulse so instead of using cutting equipment to free the man, fire crews held the car steady while two of them pulled the windscreen off and dragged him out on to the middle of the road.

London Ambulance Service staff worked on him in the road and managed to get his heart beating again.

As they treated him he was fading in and out of consciousness and talking about his girlfriend being in the car.

The car was empty so firefighters used thermal imaging cameras to search the area to see if she had been thrown out of the car due to the force of the crash.

A police helicopter was also brought in to search the area from above but no other people were found and the crews are still not sure if there had been someone else in the vehicle.

The driver was taken to St George’s Hospital, Tooting, and he has since been moved to a general ward.

His injuries include severe damage to his right arm and they are thought to be life-changing.

Fire crews from Purley and Croydon were there until about 4.10am yesterday.

Did you see what happened? Call the newsroom on 020 8722 6353 or email rfisk@london.newsquest.co.uk.