Driver 'left his friend to burn to death' when he fled blazing car crash on a New York highway to hail a taxi cab to hospital

A driver has been accused of crashing on a New York City highway and fleeing his burning car while leaving his passenger to die.

Saeed Ahmad, 23, was arrested at a hospital where he was being treated for burns to his arms and legs following the crash in Brooklyn in the early hours of Friday, reports the Daily Mail.

His passenger, Harleen Grewel, 25, was pronounced dead at the scene after her charred body was found in the front passenger seat by firefighters at the scene.

Ahmad was allegedly weaving in and out of traffic on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway before his 2007 Infiniti G35 hit a barrier.

He is said to have escaped the burning wreckage before flagging down a taxi to take him to hospital, leaving Ms Grewel in the car.

Other motorists on the highway were forced to swerve to avoid crashing into the fireball before emergency services rushed to the scene at 4am.

Footage captured at the scene shows a tailback forming as the burning car sits in the middle of the lane.

One witness told Mirror Online: 'The car was popping as we drove past - it was really hot.

"I was in a taxi and the driver said he'd never seen anything like that in his life. We thought it might explode."

Harleen Grewel died in the car crash in Brooklyn on Friday morning.

Police said Ahmad faces charges including criminally negligent homicide and leaving the scene of an accident.

His brother Waheed said the driver attempted to save Ms Grewel.

He told the New York Daily News: "He said the girl that was in the car was stuck in there and he tried to get her out, that's why his arms were burned.

'"Couldn't...it was too late for her."

The newspaper reported that Ahmad had admitted to police that he had been drinking alcohol before the crash but a subsequent blood test revealed he was not legally drunk.

It is unclear if Ahmad has a lawyer who could speak for him.