A MAN is in a critical but stable condition in hospital after a Suffolk crash left him trapped underneath a tractor.

The smash happened near the junction of the A1120 Pettaugh to Yoxford road and the B1077, near Winston, around 6.15pm on Tuesday.

The man, in his early 20s, was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, with “life-changing” spinal injuries.

Paramedics had arrived to find him trapped underneath the 8.5-tonne John Deere tractor by his head and legs.

Fire crews freed him by lifting the vehicle with inflatable air bags and hydraulic rams.

The male driver of the tractor suffered minor injuries and was taken to Ipswich Hospital.

A spokeswoman for the ambulance service said: “This was an extremely involved rescue operation because of the way the patient was trapped. The risk to causing further injury was high and all emergency crews worked extremely hard to extricate the patient safely. Once the crew could assess and stabilise the man, he was taken to hospital for further care.”

A spokesman for Suffolk Police said the road was closed for more than five hours while the man was rescued and the wreckage cleared.

Fire crews from Debenham, Framlingham and Saxmundham attended.