TWO Eden men are fighting for their lives in hospital after their car plunged across a busy road and crashed through the wall of a popular cafe.

The two men, both from Appleby, were rushed to hospital on Sunday night after the vehicle they were travelling in ‘somersaulted’ over a car park into the wall of the Llama Karma Kafe, on the A66 near Penrith.

It is believed the driver, aged 50, lost control of the car while travelling on the opposite side of the road to the cafe.

Cumbria firefighter Will Richardson, who attended the scene, said he believed the car had travelled across the central reservation, ‘somersaulting’ across a ditch and a car park, before crashing through a seating area and coming to a stop in the wall of the building.

“It was a miracle the cafe was closed and there was no-one there,” he said.

“The vehicle overturned over the car park and destroyed some tables and benches.”

Firefighters from Kendal and Penrith attended the incident at around 8pm.

They found the two men trapped in the vehicle and used cutting equipment to free them.

Both men were taken by road ambulance to hospital.

The passenger, 56, was taken to James Cook Hospital with a suspected broken neck.

The driver was described yesterday afternoon as being in ‘a serious condition’ at hospital in Carlisle.

Police say no other vehicles were involved in the incident.