THIS is the moment a 29-year-old man was crushed by a quarter-tonne runaway ball which organisers of a Spanish fiesta used to replace live bulls.

The Madrid district of Mataelpino considered it safer and more animal-friendly to use the giant balls for the festival known as the "boloencierro".

The video was shot in 2017 , but portray an eerily similar situation to an accident at this year's event, when two men were also injured.

The video shows how dozens of revellers run down the hill in front of, and by the side of, the white ball as it gathers speed before the accident happens.

The man does not get out of the way in time and is crushed against a wooden security fence.

Emergency services immediately flock to the unconscious runner and fit a neck brace.

The local council says it will be looking at security again as a matter of urgency.

The giant ball is made of polystyrene but is so big that it weighs 40st, as much as some small bulls.

The crowd is invited to test their running and dexterity skills by dodging the ball.

However, two people were also injured in 2017, one of them seriously, and security measures were stepped up for 2018.

The local Mayor, Javier de los Nietos, said in this years serious injury the ball hit the fence before colliding with the man so the impact was less severe than it could have bee
Organisers said ball runners have to be aware of which direction the ball is going and if it is coming towards them, they should thrown themselves on the ground.