ONE man was killed and four friends left injured last night after a crashed car turned into a fireball.

The dead driver, 20-year-old Darren Caswell, of Grove Hill, Middlesbrough, was identified by his jewellery.

People living near the Marton Burn Road crash scene, in Grove Hill, said the horror of the friends' screams as they remained trapped in the blazing upturned car would haunt them for ever.

One resident, who did not want to be named, said: "We tried all we could, but the heat of the flames was just too fierce and we were driven back.''

A 17-year-old girl passenger pulled out of the wreck suffered 50 per cent burns and was too ill to be airlifted to a specialist unit from North Tees Hospital.

Three male passengers in their early 20s were admitted to the intensive care units at Middlesbrough General and Newcastle Royal Victoria Infirmary hospitals.

A fifth passenger, escaped with minor injuries. The 22-year-old was released from hospital after treatment last night.

All of the injured are from the Middlesbrough area.

Lol McIlroy, fire station officer at Middlesbrough, said the crash scene was one of the worst he had ever witnessed.

"The car careered out of control near a roundabout, hit a tree and overturned before bursting into flames," said a police spokesman, who appealed for witnesses to the crash to come forward.

Last night, Cleveland Police were examining security camera film which showed the car - a red Vauxhall Calibra - hitting a kerb, turning on to its roof and bursting into flames.

The rescuers' job was made more difficult because, after hitting the tree, the car somersaulted, landing roof-down on an iron railing-topped garden wall, which wedged in the sides of the car and prevented the doors from being opened.

Lee Greet, 18, of Crosthwaite Avenue, Grove Hill, said it was only when he recognised the alloy wheels on the car that he had realised his friends were inside.

"When I realised it was my friends, I tried with other people to get them out. We wanted to help as much as we could and the people inside were screaming," he said.