A driver in Memphis received the shock of his life when he was pulled over by police because there was a drunken, unconscious man laying across the trunk of his car.

Carl Webb and his wife, Hazel, had spent Thursday night at the Memphis Barbecue Fest in the city's downtown area, before they drove home on the Interstate.

But about 14 miles into the journey, which had included a number of turns and twisting on-ramps, Webb was pulled over by a police officer who spotted a drunk man passed out across the back of the car.

'The officer came up and he said, "Mister, are you aware there's a body on your trunk?",' he told Fox13.

A drunk man in Memphis managed to survive for 14 miles asleep on the back of a car's trunk

The man, who has not been identified, was on the trunk of Carl and Hazel Webb's car for 14 miles

'He goes, "Mister, I'm not messing with you. There's a body on your trunk".

'So I got out. We walked around and sure enough there he was still hanging on, still unconscious, just lying there.'

'There's no way to describe it. It's unbelievable.'

Webb explained to the network how he got in his car with his wife and started driving home without spotting the man sleeping it off on the trunk.

The man is seen speaking to a police officer after he was woken up and helped off the trunk

Carl Webb claimed he did not see the man for more than 14 miles because he had a sunshade on his rear window

'We came down the aisle, walked right to the car, opened it up on both sides then we got in the car,' he said, before claiming his sunshade was up, blocking his view from the rear window.

'I have no explanation other than that little lip right there saved his life.'

Incredibly, the man on the trunk did not fall off despite Webb traveling about 65mph during parts of the trip.

Memphis Police have not announced if the sleeping man has been charged.