9:00am Tuesday 9th February 2010
By Timothy John
A CRASH involving four vehicles which caused serious injuries brought rush-hour traffic to a standstill at Parley Cross traffic lights on Monday, February 8.
Police, paramedics and firefighters attended the accident on a section of New Road after a woman dialled 999 from her mobile phone at about 9.10am.
Emergency services found a blue Jaguar X-type, a black BMW sports convertible, a Mercedes Vito van and a black Saab had been involved in a collision on the Bournemouth side of the lights.
Pharmacist Mitesh Patel, who runs the nearby Parley Cross Pharmacy, said frustrated motorists had attempted to pass the pile-up while drivers remained trapped in their cars.
He said: “There was a lot of traffic. People got out of their cars to see what was going on. Some people tried to bypass the accident by driving through the lay-by. They were probably late for work or driving to the airport.”
Fire crews from Ferndown, Redhill and Springbourne used three sets of hydraulic cutting equipment to remove the roof from the Jaguar and free the injured motorist – thought to be a man from Bournemouth. Another of the drivers was said to be “medically trapped” and unable to climb from the wreckage of the vehicle because of the severity of their injuries.
One driver was taken by ambulance to Poole Hospital with head injuries, while a second was treated at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital for chest injuries.
Three of the cars were so severely damaged in the collision that recovery crews were needed to tow the vehicles from the crash site.
Police reopened the road at 10.38am.
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