Car Accident

Ronaldo in car smash
John Scheerhout
8/ 1/2009

MANCHESTER United star Cristiano Ronaldo had a miraculous escape after writing off his Ferrari sports car when he crashed into a roadside barrier in a tunnel near Manchester Airport.

The red sports car was badly damaged when it was involved in the smash at 10.20am today on the A538 Wilmslow Road but the 23-year-old millionaire footballer apparently walked away uninjured.

The crash happened in the tunnel which takes traffic under the airport runways between Wilmslow and Hale, Cheshire.

Witnesses said Ronaldo got out of the car and stood beside the wreckage, apparently not injured in the incident.

The car, registered in his home country of Portugal, is part of a fleet owned by Ronaldo.

It is believed he owns a £145,000 Ferrari F430 although it was not clear if this was the car he was driving at the time of the smash.

The Portuguese winger was spoken to at the scene by police investigating the incident.

It is understood no other vehicles were involved but the aftermath of the crash was seen by a fellow United player.

Goalkeeper Edwin Van Der Sar, from Holland, was travelling behind Ronaldo, at the wheel of his own Bentley, at the time.

It is understood the players were making their way from their homes in Cheshire to United’s training complex at Carrington, near Sale.

An eye witness described how the front edge of the sports car had been completely demolished while one of the front wheels had sheared off and could be seen 200 yards away from the scene. A rear tyre was completely flat.

The witness said: “I got there just after the accident had happened and saw the state of the car. It is amazing he got out of it without a scratch.”

Ronaldo appeared as a substitute in United’s 1-0 defeat at Derby in last night’s first leg of the Carling Cup semi-final. The next leg is played at Old Trafford in a fortnight.

He was recently named World Player of the Year, and his goals last season helped United win the Premier League and the Champions League.

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: “We are investigating a road traffic collision in the airport tunnel on the A538. It appears a Ferrari has collided with a barrier in the tunnel.

“Enquiries are continuing. The driver is being spoken to at the scene. It does not appear he has been injured.”

It has been estimated Ronaldo has spent around £2m on cars since joining United five years ago.

He splashed out £350,000 on a Rolls Royce Phantom, and then spent a further £150,000 on a personalised number plate for it. His garage has also included two Porsche Cayennes, a BMW M6, Porsche 911, and a Bentley Continental GTC.