by Vicki Mathias, Marc Rath and Rupert Janisch

A man is fighting for his life today after a horrific crash in Bristol city centre in which a car smashed into the glass windows of the flagship House of Fraser store.

Eye-witnesses said a Ford Puma car had been driving at a high speed towards the city centre from the M32 and failed to take the corner into New Bond Street.

Such was the speed of the car that it catapulted over a retaining wall, smashed onto the roof of a stationary Audi car and slammed into the glass windows of the House of Fraser store in Cabot Circus.

Three of the huge 30ft windows were shattered.

The driver of the Puma car suffered multiple injuries in the accident at about 1am and was in a critical condition when he was taken to the Bristol Royal Infirmary by ambulance. He has since been transferred to Frenchay Hospital where he is in intensive care.

The driver of the other vehicle had to be cut from his car and suffered chest injuries.

Bond Street was closed at the junctions with the M32 and the Old Market roundabout following the incident.

Eye-witnesses told the Bristol Post the driver of the Puma was thrown against a window of House of Fraser.

An off-duty paramedic who was passing the scene started treating the patients and was quickly backed up by a rapid response vehicle and two double-crewed ambulances.

The road remains closed for the recovery of the vehicles and inspectors have been called to carry out an assessment as to the safety of the remaining large panes of glass at House of Fraser which were damaged in the crash.

Two fire engines from Temple Back station attended the incident.

Station manager Chris Bales from Avon Fire and Rescue Service said: “A car, which was being driven into the city, failed to negotiate the new road layout system and the vehicle mounted the kerb, left the road and impacted into the side of an Audi.

“The driver of the Audi, a man in his 30s, was recovered from his vehicle by Avon Fire and Rescue Service using hydraulic cutting equipment.”

House of Fraser confirmed that it would be open as normal today, on the start of what is likely to be one of its busiest weekends of the year.

Spokeswoman Johanna Bolhoven said: “Since the incident happened at around 1am this morning we have been working with the Highways Agency, police and Cabot Circus to secure the area.

“House of Fraser is open as normal and we will release a further comment in due course.”

Transport officers at Bristol City Council’s urban traffic control centre in Wilder Street, St Paul’s, said they were monitoring the traffic flow.

They confirmed that the northbound stretch of Bond Street South running up to the junction with Newfoundland Circus had been closed. It was reopened later this morning.

There were further traffic problems in the city centre caused by work on a burst water main and broken sewer at the back of the former Grosvenor Hotel in Temple Gate.

Traffic was gridlocked on the Bath Road and the Wells Road this morning as road lanes were closed near Bristol Temple Meads to allow the sewer repairs to be carried out.

Workmen from Wessex Water were working to mend a sewer at Templegate near the railway station and Fowlers Motorcycles which had been damaged after a water main had burst.

The work, which has involved reducing a three-lane road to a single lane, began on Thursday and is expected to go on for several days.

It meant that motorists coming from the south of the city were caught up in traffic back as far as the Broadwalk in Knowle and Brislington Hill.