Two Hazard Area Response Team (HART) vehicles were involved in a collision on the A19 in Northumbria, North East England this morning.
The two HART vehicles from the North East Ambulance Service were responding to an emergency call when they were involved in a collision on the northbound carriageway of the A19 at the junction with the A1056, near Moor Farm Roundabout.
The incident happened just before 8am this morning, and shortly after, a second road traffic collision occurred on the southbound carriageway.
The North East Ambulance Service dispatched six ambulance resources to the scene and requested support from Great North Air Ambulance.
Four patients, including the paramedics, who were transferred to Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital are all believed to have minor injuries.
A specialist rescue vehicle was also sent from Northumberland Fire and Rescue Services West Hartford station.
(Scene photo via John Rae and ambulance vehicle via North East Ambulance Service)
An eyewitness told local news, ‘the A19 which was fully closed when a second collision happened on the other side of the road. Paramedics who were injured in a crash on the A19 helped to treat others before they were taken to hospital themselves.’
“The paramedics in the vehicles actually tended to the wounded before they were looked after themselves, and taken to hospital. The two ambulance vehicles are write-offs. There was also an accident on the other side of the carriageway involving six vehicles with a number of walking wounded.”
One car left the road and rolled down a grass verge by the side of the road.
The second collision on the southbound side involved six vehicles. The road leading to the A19 was closed in both directions between Moor Farm Roundabout and Holystone roundabout.
The air ambulance also landed at the scene.
A North East Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We were called at 7.57am this morning to reports of a multiple road traffic collision on the northbound carriageway of the A19 at the junction with the A1056. Two of the vehicles involved were from our Hazardous Area Response Team, who had been travelling to an emergency.
“Whilst dealing with this incident, a second road traffic collision occurred on the southbound carriageway. In total we dispatched six resources to the scene and requested support from Great North Air Ambulance.”
Emergency Times wishes the paramedics and all involved a speedy recovery.
