A380: Driver’s lucky escape from crushed van
Dramatic pictures show the extent of a van crash that left one person trapped inside. Part of the A380 was closed[1] between Ware Barton and Penn Inn on Wednesday afternoon.
A small flatbed van had rolled over, causing damage to the cab, and ended up in between two crash barriers in the central reservation on the road.
All emergency services were sent to the scene at around noon. Thankfully, the person trapped didn’t suffer any serious injuries.
Sharing details and pictures from the scene, Newton Abbot Fire Station said: “This afternoon both appliances from Newton Abbot fire station, alongside a further appliance from Teignmouth, were mobilised to reports of a ‘persons reported trapped’ RTC (Road Traffic Collision).
The driver walked away with minor injuries (Image: Newton Abbot Fire Station)
“The incident was located on the bridge above Hackney Marshes, between Warebarton roundabout and Penn Inn on the A380. Upon our arrival, the ambulance confirmed that one individual was still trapped within the vehicle. A small flatbed van had rolled over, causing damage to the cab, and ended up in between two crash barriers in the central reservation.
“Crews got to work setting up an equipment pool and assessing the incident. The decision was made to support the vehicle using our V-struts in order to prevent any unplanned movement of the van.
“Following on from this, crews managed the glass on the passenger door by breaking it in a controlled manner. This is so that the glass could be dealt with safely and not injure the driver further.
“After this, the crew utilised our battery-powered spreading equipment to spread the door away from the cab and remove it from the vehicle entirely. Once this space has been made, the driver was able to be extricated by our colleagues from the ambulance service.
“The incident was dealt with swiftly, and the driver had been removed from the vehicle within a matter of minutes. All of the emergency services crews worked well together to rescue the individual, who thankfully only had minor injuries.”
Devon and Cornwall Police said: “The person is out of the vehicle and has been checked over – no serious injuries suspected.”
The road reopened at around 2pm.
References
- ^ Part of the A380 was closed (www.devonlive.com)
- ^ Bollards force Exeter paramedics to race to incident on foot (www.devonlive.com)