TWO casualties were cut out of cars and one airlifted to a specialist hospital after a three car pile-up in Basildon.

Three crews of firefighters from Basildon and Orsett were sent to Nethermayne following the accident at 10.13am, where they used cutting equipment to release two casualties from two cars.

One, a man in his sixties, was airlifted to to the Royal London Hospital at 10.39am after the air ambulance landed at the Five Bells junction.

Traffic was queuing in both directions on Nethermayne between the Five Bells interchange and the Lee Woottens Lane junctions until the road was reopened shortly after 2pm.

An Essex Police spokesman said: “Police were contacted shortly before 10.10am on Saturday, February 13, with reports of a road traffic collision in Nethermayne, Basildon.

“Officers, the fire service, ambulance service and air ambulance attended.

“The road was closed between the Five Bells roundabout and Basildon Hospital from about 10.30am to 2.10pm while emergency services were on the scene and the road was cleared.

“Three vehicles were involved; a Rover 200, a Vauxhall Astra and a Ford C-Max.

“The Ford driver, a man aged in his sixties from Basildon, was taken to hospital with minor injuries. His passenger, a woman aged in her sixties from Basildon, was also taken to hospital with minor injuries.

“The Rover driver, a man aged in his 20s from Wickford, was taken to the Royal London Hospital with a serious leg injury, which was not believed to be life changing.

“Witnesses or anyone with information are asked to contact Laindon Roads Policing Unit on 101.”

Station officer Mark Eaglestone said two vehicles were travelling in opposite directions in Nethermayne when they collided.

He said: "There was a main collision between two vehicles, both travelling in different directions.

"On arrival, two people required extrication and due to one person's injuries, they had to be taken away by the air ambulance to the Royal London Hospital. Their injuries are not thought to be life threatening.

"We got the casualties out pretty quickly and the only delay was waiting for the air ambulance and for the paramedics and HEMS (helicopter emergency medical service) doctor to make a decision about going to airlift.

"Due to the nature of the casualty’s injuries, it was decided the best course of action was to fly them to hospital.

“The key thing was the paramedics were absolutely super and we worked really well together as a team to help the injured people and get them off as quickly as possible.”

 

 

SAFETY concerns about Nethermayne were raised when a barrier between the lanes of opposing traffic was removed.

Andrew Gordon, a former councillor for Nethermayne who lives in Priors Close, Basildon, had been warning of the danger posed by the removal of the barrier late last year.

Mr Gordon, 23, said: "Residents fought really hard to have a divider between the opposing lanes of traffic in place 20 years ago but it was removed when the road was redesigned just before Christmas.

"Essex County Council have been aware for a long time of the problems in Nethermayne and lots of people have written to them about how dangerous it is and problems the volume of traffic causes - and that roundabout is particularly dangerous because of how busy it is.

"I'm in the process of writing a formal letter to (Essex County Council highways spokesman) Councillor Bass because I'm amazed at how often I witness cars overtaking across lanes or jumping out of lanes - which is why the divider was put in in the first place.

"I don't know why they took it out, it's absurd, but although it makes me uncomfortable to eat my words like this, it was bound to happen."