A teenager is feared blinded after a Christmas Day hit and run collision.

The 16-year-old boy suffered “life-changing” injuries after fragments of glass flew into his right eye during the crash in Hove at 11pm.

He was the front-seat passenger in the taxi which crashed at the traffic light-controlled junction of Church Road and Sackville Road.

A silver Vauxhall Insignia saloon travelling north along Sackville Road collided with the blue Skoda Octavia taxi, which was travelling west along Church Road.

The taxi lost control, mounting the pavement.

A resident of Dolphin Court, which overlooks the junction, said: “I heard a loud bang and went on to the balcony and saw a car wedged into the railings by the pedestrian crossing.

“Two lads ran out, looked around, then got back in again and drove on a bit.

“There was a terrible sound as they drove off, it sounded like they had done some real damage.

“A little while later I saw the police arrive.”

A police spokesman said the front of the Vauxhall was probably significantly damaged in the crash.

He confirmed that a passenger is believed to have briefly stepped out of the Vauxhall and looked into the taxi, but then got back into the car which left the scene.

The teenager, from Southwick, suffered head injuries which included fragments of glass entering his right eye.

The taxi driver, also from Southwick, suffered whiplash injuries.

Both were taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton, by ambu- lance.

A police spokesman said: “The boy’s injuries are possibly life-changing. There are concerns he’s been blinded.”

The Dolphin Court resident added: “Over the last 15 years I’ve seen many, many crashes on this junction. 

“There are too many to mention.

“People turn right when they shouldn’t, it’s very dangerous."

Witnesses to the crash are being sought by police, particularly sightings of a badly damaged silver Vauxhall Insignia in the Hove area.

They are asked to phone Sussex Police on 101 or email collision.appeal@sussex.pnn.police.uk, quoting serial 1196 of 25/12.