Air ambulance drama - woman hurt after three car crash in Stourbridge (From Stourbridge News)

Air ambulance drama - woman hurt after three car crash in Stourbridge

11:01am Tuesday 22nd January 2013 in News

A WOMAN was flown to hospital with serious leg injuries after a three car collision near Stourbridge town centre.

Rush hour traffic was brought to a standstill after the incident which happened this morning (Tuesday) at around 8.25am on Birmingham Street near its junction of Sandyacre Way.

The Midlands Air Ambulance from Cosford landed in a field next to the road, close to the landmark viaduct.

(Video showing the Midlands Air Ambulance leaving the scene to take the injured woman to hospital)

After treating the injured woman, emergency medics had to carry her on a stretcher across an ice-covered footbridge to the waiting aircraft.

Passers-by reported a VW Passat estate and Range Rover had been in collision – the drivers – a female driver of the VW Passat and a male driver of the Range Rover got out and were exchanging details between the two cars.

Eyewitnesses said a red Nissan Micra skidded on ice and went into the back of the Range Rover and shunted it forwards – the man managed to dive out the way but the woman was crushed between the Range Rover and the Passat.

Adam Taylor, aged 23, was driving behind the red Micra and called emergency services.

He said: “I slammed my brakes on and could feel the back end sliding so I drove into the kerb. The state of the road is awful. It’s more ice than tarmac.

“The lady in the Micra wasn’t going fast. She was very shaken.”

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “A woman in her forties was treated for serious leg and pelvic injuries.

“The patient was immobilised with the use of a neck collar, splints and placed on a spinal board. She was given pain relief before being airlifted to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham for further assessment and treatment.

“Crews also treated a man, believed to be in his thirties, for a leg injury. The patient was taken by land ambulance to Russell Hall Hospital.

“A car driver in her sixties was treated at the scene by ambulance staff but later discharged.”

Birmingham Street was closed and diversions were put in place while the injured people were treated, the road was reopened at 10.06pm.

Drivers who use the street regularly are blaming ice caused by a spring which flows across the road for the incident.

Paul Cockin, who was passing the scene and drives the number nine bus, said: “It’s lethal. I haven’t been breaking down here because it is so bad.

“There’s always accidents here because the water going over the road freezes over. It’s been like it for about two years and no-one ever does anything about it.”

Van driver Neil Davis and passenger Brett Lenton, who witnessed the crash, complained that gritters did not seem to have been down the road despite the treacherous conditions.

Neil, aged 34, said: “It’s more the road to blame than drivers, it’s horrendous.”