The man, a 36-year-old company director of a builders firm in Elland, was spotted brazenly taking snaps of a blue Fiat Punto flipped onto its roof on Huddersfield Road, Salterhebble, at around 11.30am yesterday (Tuesday).

Despite visible traffic police directing cars around the scene on the busy road, the man leaned out of the window of his blue Nissan Cabstar while driving at around 20 miles an hour and started taking pictures with his camera phone, hoping to get a snap similar to the one taken safely and legally by a Courier photographer (right).

PC Steve Young, of Calderdale Road Traffic Police, said: "It just beggars belief that someone can be so stupid.

"I was guarding the scene when I saw him and shouted 'Stop taking pictures' and he drove off.

"It was very dangerous, there were cars in front of and behind him and the traffic was moving at around 20mph.

"The last thing we need on a scene like this is people rubber necking and increasing the risk of a further accident.

"To do it deliberately in front of us is plain ridiculous."

Police tracked the man down through his number plate and arrested him at 1pm.

After spending several hours in the police station he was charged with driving without due care and attention.

He will appear in court next week.

The driver who was in the crash suffered minor injuries and was taken to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary.