A1 crash LIVE: Five casualties as multiple police cars in horror collision

Seven police officers have been taken to hospital[1] following a horror crash on the A1[2] and two people have been arrested after the wreckage of five marked and unmarked police vehicles were scattered across the major traffic artery. The stretch of road was closed following what police have called a "multi-vehicle crash[3]", which took place at around 2.30am near Denton, Newcastle[4]. Shocking pictures show four damaged marked police cars as well as an unmarked police car on its side.

The black BMW on the scene, in front of the marked police cars, is believed to be a civilian car. At least one officer involved in the crash is understood to have been seriously injured, the Mirror can reveal. Police were said to have been in a high speed pursuit when the accident happened, with Northumbria Police having now confirmed an investigation is under way after their officers were involved in a collision during a pursuit.

The service said specialist officers from the Force's Roads Policing Unit were sent to the area and at 2.25am got behind a car, and a pursuit was authorised. At 2.27am the car and five police vehicles were involved in a collision on the A1 near the Derwent Haugh Road junction. The vehicles are blocking all three lanes between Junctions 72 and 75 at Swalwell and Denton, with motorists facing massive early morning delays following closures as congestion stretches as far back as Junction 70.

Officers from Nothumbria Police[5] remain at the scene to conduct what are expected to be "protracted" investigations this morning, and the North East Ambulance Service said it dispatched a number of ambulance and Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) crews following a call in the early hours.

A1 crash: Four police cars in horror collision sparking major traffic delays[6]

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13:55KEY EVENT

Seven police officers taken to hospital and two arrests made following crash

Northumbria Police has revealed in a major update on the crash that seven police officers were taken to hospital following this morning's collision, and two people were arrested over the incident.

13:47Liam Doyle

Police uniforms bundled into evidence bags

Police have been pictured at the scene of the crash bundling high-visibility uniforms into a clear plastic bag. The scene follows reports that an officer was "seriously injured" following the smash.

Police could be seen bundling hi-visibility jackets into a bag (PA)13:33Liam Doyle

Police cars removed from scene

The flatbed truck brought to the scene of the crash earlier has now been put to work removing the battered police cars from the road.

Police cars were removed from the scene more than 10 hours after the incident (Andy Commins / Daily Mirror)13:15Jeremy Armstrong

Residents speak for first time following crash

Residents living nearby the stretch of the A1 where the crash took place this morning have spoken out for the first time hours after the incident.

One local, who lived nearby but declined to be named, said: "We heard the bang just after 2am but we did not come out to see it. I assumed there had been a crash on the motorway." Another woman said it had happened "in the middle of the night". "I didn't wake up, some of the neighbours heard it," she said. "Looking at the aftermath, there has clearly been a high speed collision."

Locals said they largely slept through the incident (Simon Greener/Newcastle Chronicle)13:04KEY EVENT

Officer seriously injured following A1 crash

At least one officer involved in the crash is understood to have been seriously injured, the Mirror can report.

Police were said to have been in a high speed pursuit when the accident happened shortly before 2.30am today, with multiple marked - an one unmarked - police vehicles believed to have been involved. Northumbria Police has declined to comment on the report of a serious injury resulting from the smash.

12:57Liam Doyle

Highways England warns crash site may open hour later than expected

Highways England has said the section of the A1 shuttered following the crash today may not reopen until an hour after initially expected. The organisation earlier said the area would clear at around 6pm, but now states this is expected "between 7.15pm and 7.30pm on April 9".

12:53Liam Doyle

Flatbed trucks arrive on scene to extract pieces of wreckage

The latest pictures from the scene on the A1 show that police hve started extracting pieces of wreckage following the crash, with a flatbed truck seen on standby this afternoon.

Service vehicles have arrived on the scene to pick up pieces of the crash wreckage (Andy Commins / Daily Mirror)12:38Liam Doyle

A1 closure hits 10-hour mark

The closure on the A1 this morning has now lasted for a staggering 10 hours.

Police and ambulances arrived on the scene today at around 2.30am, and have since set up an investigation scene after ambulances evacuated five people to a local hospital. Highways England said the stretch of road will likely remain shuttered until well into the evening, likely past rush hour at around 5pm.

12:29Liam Doyle

Close-up pictures reveal evidence markers placed throughout crash scene

New close-up photos have shown evidence markers placed at the scene of this morning's crash. Police investigators have been working through the debris since arriving on the A1 and surveying the massive five-car collision which has shuttered much of the major road.

Close up images of the scene show evidence markers placed around the car debris (Andy Commins / Daily Mirror)12:24Liam Doyle

Patients airlifted to hospital after horror smash

Great North Air Ambulance Service has revealed its teams took multiple patients to hospital after landing at the scene alongside emergency services this morning.A spokesperson for the service said: "Our critical care team was activated at 2.38am to reports of a road traffic collision on the A1 near Denton.

We had a paramedic and doctor respond on a critical care car and they arrived on scene at 2.51am.

"Our team worked alongside the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) to assess and treat multiple patients. "The patients were taken to hospital by a NEAS road crew."

12:13Liam Doyle

Five people injured at scene treated in trauma unit

The five people confirmed to have been taken via ambulance from the scene of the A1 crash are being treated in a trauma unit at a Newcastle hospital.

The North East Ambulance Service previously said it had dispatched multiple teams to assist at the accident scene, and received assistance from the Great North Air Ambulance Service.

12:02Liam Doyle

Traffic not expected to clear until after rush hour this evening

The A1 crash site is not expected to be completely clear for several more hours, with Highways England warning the scene will remain active until between 6pm and 6.15pm today. The service said that "normal traffic conditions" would likely resume around 5.30pm or 5.45pm today. Delays in the area are currently setting motorists back around 50 minutes.

11:58Liam Doyle

Close-ups show most damaged marked police car with roof blown off

A new close-up photo from the scene of the crash shows just how severe some of the damage was.

One marked police car can be seen with its roof blown completely from its main chassis, and its doors strewn around nearby.

One police car had its roof blown off following the incident (Andy Commins / Daily Mirror)11:42Liam Doyle

Debris seen strewn far beyond crash site in new pictures

The new drone shots shared this morning show the extent of the strewn debris, with pieces of car flung far beyond the upturned 4x4 in the immediate crash area.

Debris can be seen scattered across the road in the latest pictures (PA)11:32Liam Doyle

Drone shots show deserted A1 following morning crash

New pictures have captured the scene of the devastating crash this morning from above - showing the A1 all but deserted as investigators work.

Drone shots have captured the scene of the crash from above (Simon Greener/Newcastle Chronicle)11:23Liam Doyle

Road to stay shut 'until later this afternoon'

Highways England has warned that the road will remain shut until "later this afternoon" in its latest update in a further blow for motorists.

The A1 will remain closed until later this afternoon (Simon Greener/Newcastle Chronicle)11:12Liam Doyle

Fire crews remained at crash scene for more than an hour

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service confirmed in a statement this morning that its crews remained at the crash scene for more than an hour. A spokesperson said: "We can confirm that in the early hours of Wednesday morning (9th April) five fire appliances and two Officers attended a road traffic collision in Newcastle. "Our control room team received an emergency call from Northumbria Police for assistance at 2.29 a.m., and crews from Gosforth, Newcastle Central, Swalwell and West Denton Community Fire Stations were dispatched to a location on the A1 northbound near to Denton Burn.

Our Firefighters assisted blue light colleagues from Northumbia Police and North East Ambulance Service during the multiple-vehicle incident. "Crews left the scene at 3.51 am."

11:07Liam Doyle

New pictures show police investigators on scene

New pictures coming through this morning show police investigators on the scene, with officers placing evidence number cards as they meticulously comb through the twisted wreckage of the vehicles.

Police continue to investigate the crash this morning (Andy Commins / Daily Mirror)11:02Liam Doyle

Video shows new angle of crash

A new video of the crash has shown the dramatic scene from another angle, with police seen working around the battered cars on a traffic-free road while road assistance vehicles stand by.

11:00Liam Doyle

A1 delays 'easing' while police investigation continues

Massive congestion hitting the A1 this morning is starting to ease, with the AA saying delays are currently around six minutes long but gradually reducing.In an update on its official traffic monitoring tool, the service said: "Delays of six minutes and delays easing on A1 Western Bypass Northbound between J70 Park Terrace (Dunston/Whickham Turn Off) and J73 A694 Derwenthaugh Road (Blaydon/Consett Turn Off). Average speed 15 mph."10:57Liam Doyle

A1 Newcastle delays mapped as congestion extends from Denton to Swalwell

Charts have captured the massive extent of the congestion this morning.

New maps from the AA show the road closure stretching from Denton to Swalwell, with congestion spreading well into the south.

The closures can be seen stretching from Denton to Swalwell10:51Liam Doyle

Stagecoach delayed as A1 chaos continues

Stagecoach services have been hit by the delays this morning, the company confirmed in a post on social media.Stagecoach Northeast advised its customers in a post on X, formerly Twitter, to allow additional time for their journeys following "major delays to all services". A spokesperson said: "We are experiencing major delays to all services all services due to the closure of the A1. Please extra time for your journey."10:45KEY EVENT

Crash involved five police cars

This morning's car crash involved five police cars, some marked and some unmarked.

Four of the vehicles are marked while a black car pictured on its side is unmarked. Shocking pictures show one police car without a roof and three of its doors, while others have smashed windows while debris is scattered across all three lanes.

Five police cars were involved in the crash this morning (Andy Commins / Daily Mirror)10:39Liam Doyle

Northumbria Police investigation to be 'protracted' - raising possibility of more delays

Highways England said Northumbria Police are expected to run a "protracted" investigation at the scene, with closures likely to run into the afternoon. The organisation said: "Due to the severity of the collision a full Northumbria Police investigation is underway and they advise that it will be protracted.

The road is expected to remain closed in both directions in to the afternoon of Wednesday 9th April."

The dramatic crash left police cars folded and crumpled (Andy Commins / Daily Mirror)10:35Liam Doyle

Latest advice from Highways England as massive congestion persists

Massive congestion has persisted beyond rush hour on the A1 this morning, with Highways England warning the approach to the closure has caused delays in "both directions". Highways England states: "There are currently significant delays reported on approach to the closure in both directions. Local roads in the vicinity are heavily congested.

The A19 to the east of Newcastle is heavily congested also as traffic from further afield is using it as an alternative to the A1." Motorists have been advised to plan ahead for their journeys and follow the flagged diversion routes.

10:32KEY EVENT

Everything we know about the crash so far

A serious crash on the A1 involving multiple police cars has caused major traffic chaos in Newcastle.

The road has been closed in both directions between Swalwell and Denton since around 2.30am, due to extensive police investigation work. Photographs from the scene show multiple police cars with significant damage in the middle of the road, and a large amount of debris that needs to be cleared before the road can be reopened. A spokesperson for Northumbria Police said: "Shortly before 2:30am today (Wednesday) we received a report of a multi-vehicle collision on the A1 northbound near the Derwent Haugh Road junction, Gateshead.

Emergency services are currently in attendance. A section of the road is closed in both directions, there are diversions in place from the Derwent Haugh Road junction northbound, and the A69 roundabout southbound." The North East Ambulance Service confirmed five patients were transported to hospital as a result of the serious collision.

The Great North Air Ambulance was also called to the scene. The impact of the crash is being widely felt, with major congestion on the Scotswood Road and other parts of the A1. Traffic is also particularly bad coming in and out of Newcastle city centre, due to the proximity of the collision.

The latest update on the National Highways website is as follows: "Due to the severity of the collision a full Northumbria Police investigation is underway and they advise that it will be protracted. "The road is expected to remain closed in both directions in to the afternoon of Wednesday 9th April. There is no official diversion route for this section of the A1.

As such road users are urged to plan their route in ahead using alternative roads."

Police officers could be seen attending the scene after three cars were involved in the crash (North News & Pictures Ltd nort)10:28KEY EVENT

Horror accident took place near slip road where Raoul Moat shot David Rathband

The accident happened near the slip road where nightclub bouncer Raoul Moat, 37, shot Pc David Rathband before his six days on the run in July, 2010. Moat shot and seriously wounded his former girlfriend Samantha Stobbart, then 22. And he killed her new partner Christopher Brown, 29, falsely believing he was a police officer.

Hours later, Moat shot and blinded PC Rathband. Moat, who had just been released from prison, eventually killed himself after a six-hour standoff with police. Tragically, Pc Rathband killed himself 18 months later.

10:21KEY EVENT

Five people taken to hospital 'for further treatment' following horror smash

North East Ambulance Service rushed to the scene of the crash this morning at around 2.29am, a spokesperson has confirmed, before taking five people to hospital "for further treatment".

A spokesperson for the service said: "We received a call at 2.29am on Wednesday 9 April to reports of a road traffic collision on the A1 northbound near Denton, Newcastle.

We dispatched five ambulance crews, a specialist paramedic, a duty officer, two crews from our Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) and requested support from our colleagues at the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) who attended by road.

"Five patients were transported to hospital for further treatment."

Photographers captured the crumpled remains of police cars after the massive crash (North News & Pictures Ltd nort)

References

1. ^ hospital (www.mirror.co.uk)
2. ^ horror crash on the A1 (www.mirror.co.uk)
3. ^ multi-vehicle crash (www.mirror.co.uk)
4. ^ Newcastle (www.mirror.co.uk)
5. ^ Nothumbria Police (www.mirror.co.uk)
6. ^ A1 crash: Four police cars in horror collision sparking major traffic delays (www.mirror.co.uk)