Suspected drug driver arrested and three people hospitalised after A174 multi-vehicle crash

A man has been arrested and three people taken to hospital after a multi-vehicle crash which closed a major Teesside Road.

A fleet of emergency services including police, fire and ambulance crews went to the incident on the A174 Westbound at 1.10pm on Friday. The road was closed from the B1365 (Hemlington[1]) slip road to the roundabout at the A19[2].

Three people were treated by paramedics at the scene with three more taken to the James Cook University Hospital[3] in Middlesbrough. A Cleveland Police[4] spokesperson said at the time: "A woman is reported to have an injury to her leg. Officers are advising drivers to avoid the area and to find an alternative route. One man has been arrested on suspicion of drug driving and driving without due care."

A North East Ambulance Service spokeswoman added: "We were called a multi-vehicle road traffic collision on the A174 at Phoenix Park, Middlesbrough[5], shortly after 1.10pm. We dispatched three double crewed ambulances, a clinical team leader and one vehicle from our Hazardous Area Response Team.

"Three patients were treated and discharged at the scene and three patients were taken to James Cook Hospital."

A woman, who witnessed the smash and was almost caught up in the collision, told Teesside Live: "We could just hear all the others cars banging into each other behind us but I’d moved in time." The driver added that "one of the cars was really smashed up" in the middle of the road and "someone was stuck inside".

A crash closed the A174 Westbound A crash closed the A174 Westbound A crash closed the A174 Westbound A crash closed the A174 Westbound

She said: "I saw the cars stopping ahead and I heard the first bang, so I swerved towards the grass before everyone else smashed into each other." She added that she saw a pick-up truck "swerve diagonally" across her lane.

The AA confirmed there were delays of eight minutes on the A174 Westbound and traffic was diverted through Acklam[6]. One eye witness said: "There is a police car blocking it off and all the traffic is being diverted up through Acklam. There's load of emergency services there, fire, ambulance and police."

Cleveland Fire Brigade[7] confirmed they freed a person trapped in a car and handed the casualty over to paramedics. The brigade's spokesperson said: “Three fire engines were in attendance from Guisborough[8], Redcar[9] and Stockton[10]."

Cleveland Fire Brigade extracted one casualty, assisted with cleaning of debris and left the scene around 2.30pm.

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References

  1. ^ Hemlington (www.gazettelive.co.uk)
  2. ^ A19 (www.gazettelive.co.uk)
  3. ^ James Cook University Hospital (www.gazettelive.co.uk)
  4. ^ Cleveland Police (www.gazettelive.co.uk)
  5. ^ Middlesbrough (www.gazettelive.co.uk)
  6. ^ Acklam (www.gazettelive.co.uk)
  7. ^ Cleveland Fire Brigade (www.gazettelive.co.uk)
  8. ^ Guisborough (www.gazettelive.co.uk)
  9. ^ Redcar (www.gazettelive.co.uk)
  10. ^ Stockton (www.gazettelive.co.uk)
  11. ^ here. (www.gazettelive.co.uk)
  12. ^ click this link and select 'Join Community' (chat.whatsapp.com)
  13. ^ Teesside Live (www.gazettelive.co.uk)
  14. ^ can read our Privacy Notice (www.reachplc.com)
  15. ^ Click here to join our WhatsApp community (chat.whatsapp.com)
  16. ^ go here (www.gazettelive.co.uk)