A man and a woman were critically injured when a sports car they were riding in hit a tree at high speed in Fayette County on Friday night.

The man, who was driving, and the woman were in a dark-colored Nissan 350Z. They were taken to University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital with life-threatening injuries. Police did not release their identities Friday.

The wreck happened about 10:30 p.m. on Delong Road close to Tates Creek Road, near the Jessamine County Line. The impact reduced the car to a pile of twisted metal, cracked the tree trunk and knocked down a large branch, which blocked Delong Road.

Wood and car parts were strewn along the road and in yards surrounding the wreck. A headlight fixture from the car rested against the mailbox of 3888 Delong, more than 100 yards from the crash site.

It took firefighters longer than usual, about a half-hour, to cut the man and woman out of the car because of how badly the car was damaged, Lt. David Biroschik said.

Police cars blocked intersections and escorted the ambulance to the hospital "to help it get there a little quicker,' he said.

It was unclear whether alcohol was involved. Excessive speed was thought to be a factor, Biroschik said.