Everything we know after adult and child ‘trapped in campervan’ are seriously injured
On scene - fire crews and two air ambulances assisted ambulance crews and police officers on the A12 (Image: ECFRS)
A WOMAN and a child were airlifted to hospital with serious injuries after a three-vehicle pile-up on the A12.
Both sides of the A12 were closed between the Colchester United stadium and the Avenue of Remembrance turning for about four hours following the accident this morning.
Police officers, specialist ambulance crews, crews from two fire stations, and two air ambulances were called to the London-bound carriageway at about 9.30am today.
A woman and a child who sustained serious injuries were rescued from a campervan by firefighters from Colchester and Wivenhoe fire stations before being transported to Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, by the Essex and Herts Air Ambulance.
Gazette: Congestion - queuing traffic on the southbound A12 seen from the Severalls Lane bridge
Congestion - queuing traffic on the southbound A12 seen from the Severalls Lane bridge (Image: Newsquest)
An Essex Police spokesman said: "We were called to reports of a collision on the southbound carriageway of the A12[1] at about 9.30am this morning.
"The collision involved three vehicles and two people have been taken to hospital.
"The incident affected traffic in both directions between junction 27 and junction 28, between Cymbeline Way and the Crown Interchange.”
The accident caused misery for drivers across the city for hours[2] as motorists sought alternative routes to avoid the chaos on the A12.
Five East of England Ambulance Service vehicles rushed to the scene to assist their emergency service colleagues.
Gazette: Emergency - two Essex and Herts Air Ambulances rushed to the scene
Emergency - two Essex and Herts Air Ambulances rushed to the scene (Image: Supplied by Essex and Herts Air Ambulance Trust)
A spokesman for the ambulance service added: "Two ambulances, a hazardous area response team vehicle, two ambulance officer vehicles, and two Essex and Herts Air Ambulances were called to the A12 near Colchester this morning.
"One woman and a child, both with serious injuries, were transported to Addenbrookes Hospital by air ambulance."
A spokesperson for Wivenhoe fire station said: “We assisted our colleagues from Colchester fire station along with the police, ambulance, and air ambulance to release one adult and one child who were trapped in a campervan on the A12 southbound between junctions 28 and 27.”
National Highways confirmed the London-bound carriageway re-opened just after 1pm, and Essex County Council’s traffic control team confirmed all lanes had re-opened in both directions by 1.25pm, almost four hours after the incident was first reported.
The A12 and other roads including Cowdray Avenue, Lexden Road, and Cymbeline Way remained congested for several hours.
References
- ^ collision on the southbound carriageway of the A12 (www.gazette-news.co.uk)
- ^ misery for drivers across the city for hours (www.gazette-news.co.uk)