A TAXI driver suffered life-threatening injuries when he was hit head-on by a drink-driver in the early hours of the morning.

Blackburn magistrates heard Munir Hussain had collected a fare in Clitheroe and was heading towards Read when the crash happened just after he had passed the notorious Devil's Elbow.

The driver of the other vehicle, John Paton, crossed onto the wrong side of the road before the collision on August 5.

He said he had been drinking Miller Lite lager at a party and wrongly assumed it was lower alcohol.

Paton, 61, of Old Clitheroe Road, Dutton, near Ribchester, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol and without due care and attention. He was made subject to a community order for 12 months with five days' rehabilitation activity requirement, fined £170 with £85 costs and £85 victim surcharge and banned from driving for 20 months. He gave a reading in blood of 132 against the legal limit of 80.

Catherine Allan, prosecuting, said Mr Munir suffered a tear in his aorta, 12 broken ribs, damage to his windpipe, his left hip was broken, left knee fractured in three places, his left tibia and fibia crushed and his left ankle and foot broken.

He spent five weeks in hospital and was bed-bound for two and a half months.

His passenger, Olivia Heys, who had been picked up after a night out in Clitheroe said there was nothing wrong with the taxi driver's driving.

She said they had gone up the hill from Devil's Elbow when she looked up and saw headlights coming straight at them. She blacked out as a result of the impact but came round to see the driver sprawled across the vehicle in obvious difficulties.

Miss Hughes managed to get out of the car and despite injuries to her ankles managed to flag down a passing car and get them to all the ambulance and police.

John Richardson, defending, said Paton had been to a friend's 60th birthday party in Stockport and had drunk some bottles of Miller Lite.

"He assumed that was either low or no alcohol beer but he accepts he should have checked," said Mr Richardson.

He said Paton had been driving for many years and had only ever received a couple of speeding tickets and on the night had been dazzled by oncoming headlights immediately before the collision.

Mr Richardson said the police and the passenger had reported that the taxi driver was not wearing a seatbelt.

"Taxi drivers are not required to wear a seatbelt and there can be no criticism of him for that, but it may explain why he suffered the injuries that he did," said Mr Richardson.