A41 crash: Trapped van driver escapes with minor injuries after he is winched out from under lorry

The incident, near Wistanswick, saw the van and lorry collide just before 5am[1]. Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service said they sent four fire engines from Hodnet, Market Drayton and Wellington to the RTC with an operations officer also in attendance. When they got there, firefighters discovered the van was partially stuck under the HGV, with the driver trapped in the van.

In a Facebook post, Market Drayton Fire Station said they had to winch the van free, with the driver still inside.

Images from the scene (Courtesy: Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service / Craig Jackson).

“On arrival at the scene the crews found that a heavy goods vehicle and a light van had been involved in a significant collision,” they said. “The front end of the van was partially under the trailer of the heavy goods vehicle and had sustained a significant amount of damage. The male driver of the van was found to be mechanically trapped in the vehicle.

“Crews quickly set about using Holmatro hydraulic cutting and spreading equipment to gain access to the casualty and create space. “Paramedics from West Midlands Ambulance worked closely with firefighters to monitor the casualties condition during the extrication.

An image from the scene (Courtesy: Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service / Craig Jackson).

“Due to the amount of damage that the van had sustained and the significant intrusion into the vehicle, which was resulting in the driver being trapped, the decision was made to use a procedure known as relocation to provide better access to all of the vehicle. “This involved the crews attaching a Tirfor winch to the rear of the van and anchored to the front of a fire appliance.

“The van was then carefully and slowly winched out from under the heavy goods vehicle, whilst this process was being carried out firefighters remained inside the van with the trapped driver to monitor their condition and provide reassurance.

A photograph published from the scene by Market Drayton fire crews.

“When the van had been winched clear, the crews used hydraulic rams to force the dashboard and engine bay up and away from the casualty. “Once this had been completed the casualty was able to be assisted out of the vehicle and was placed into the care of paramedics.” The fire service added that the casualty was transported to hospital with “what we believe is a non-life threatening lower leg injury”.

Wet Midlands Ambulance Service confirmed that the man’s injuries were not life-threatening. A spokesperson said: “We were called to reports of a collision between a lorry and a pick-up truck on the A41 at 4.41am. “One ambulance and a paramedic officer attended the scene.

“On arrival we discovered one patient, a man, who was treated for injuries not believed to be serious before being taken to Princess Royal Hospital.”

Officers from West Mercia Police were also at the scene, and the A41 was closed in both directions between Wistanswick and Hinstock for a period of time, while the emergency services worked at the scene and for recovery of the vehicles.

Police began reopening the road at 7.37am.

References

1. ^ saw the van and lorry collide just before 5am (www.shropshirestar.com)