Woman critically injured in early hours crash on A1

AWOMAN is in a critical condition following a serious collision on the A1(M) near Durham in the early hours of yesterday.

Four people are in hospital as a result of the crash involving two cars on the motorway near Belmont. Police have confirmed that a man in his 20s has been arrested in connection with the incident and remains in police custody.

Emergency services including the air ambulance scrambled to the scene where two people were thought to be trapped.

Three patients were taken to the University Hospital of North Durham and another was taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle.

The road was closed for nearly 11 hours between junctions 61 and 62 to allow collision investigators to work at the scene and for the barrier to be repaired.

A Durham Constabulary spokesperson said yesterday: “A woman is in a critical condition in hospital following a two-vehicle collision on the A1(M).

“Emergency services were called to the incident involving a white VW Golf and a grey Ford Kuga shortly after 1.15am today on the northbound carriageway, close to J62 Carrville.

“A woman who was a passenger in the Ford Kuga sustained serious injuries. The three other occupants of the vehicle suffered minor injuries. No-one else was injured.

“A man in his 20s has been arrested in connection with the incident and remains in police custody.

“The road was closed for several hours to allow collision investigators to work at the scene and for the barrier to be repaired.

“Witnesses are asked to call Durham Constabulary on 101, quoting incident reference 37 of May 22.

A North East Ambulance Services spokesperson said: “We received a call to 999 at 1:17am this morning to a road traffic collision on the A1 north near Belmont in which two people were thought to be trapped.

“We sent a rapid response paramedic, two hazardous area response teams, three emergency ambulance crews, a clinical team leader and the doctor from Great North Air Ambulance.

“Three patients were transported to University Hospital North Durham and a further patient was taken to the RVI in Newcastle.”

A spokeswoman for the Great North Air Ambulance said: “I can confirm our doctor and paramedic team were activated at 1.50am this morning to reports of a road traffic collision on the A1 northbound near Durham. They assessed and treated a patient and they were taken to hospital by the North East Ambulance Service.”

The road was closed for several hours to allow collision investigators to work Police spokesperson