Elderly man cut free and rushed to hospital with head injury after car flips onto its side in Market Drayton
An elderly motorist has been taken to hospital after his car crashed into a wall and flipped onto its side in Market Drayton.
Emergency services were called to a road traffic collision on Phoenix Bank shortly after 6pm yesterday (August 11).
Upon arrival, fire crews found that a car had been involved in a "significant" collision with a large sandstone wall, flipped and rolled onto its side.
The driver, described as an elderly man, was trapped inside the vehicle and cared for by West Mercia Police officers, an off-duty ambulance service technician and members of the public.
Five fire crews including the rescue tender were mobilised from Hodnet, Market Drayton and Wellington to the scene. The Midlands Air Ambulance was also sent to the incident.
Firefighters freed the driver before he was given care by paramedics and transported to Royal Stoke University Hospital via road ambulance.
Several roads including Phoenix Bank, Newtown, the A529, Newport Road, and Walkmill rRoad were closed for a period of time after the incident.
A spokesperson for Market Drayton Fire Station said: "On arrival at the scene, the crew discovered that a single vehicle had been in a significant collision with a large sandstone wall, had flipped over and rolled, coming to rest on its side.
"The elderly male driver who was alone in the vehicle was found to be trapped, and was being cared for by officers from West Mercia Police, an off-duty ambulance service technician and members of the public.
"The crew quickly set about stabilising the vehicle using Holmatro V struts, chocks and blocks, whilst other firefighters who are trained in advanced trauma care assisted the ambulance service technician to stabilise the casualty's c-spine, carry out an assessment for additional injuries and monitor their vital signs.
"The male was conscious and alert but disoriented and in pain. It was established that they had sustained a head injury, a possible chest injury and were complaining of central chest pain. The Incident commander, working with the rest of the crew, formulated an extrication plan to release the trapped male.
"The crew quickly set up Holmatro hydraulic cutting and spreading equipment to create space around the casualty to allow them to be safely released. Whilst the space creation was being carried, out the casualty's condition deteriorated, this resulted in the need for a rapid extrication, whereby the casualty is required to be out of the vehicle immediately, to allow for urgent medical treatment.
"The space creation was abandoned, and the crew working in a very confined space got their hands on the casualty, and rapidly and carefully lifted them through the sunroof of the vehicle whilst constantly maintaining c-spine alignment and protection.
"As soon as the casualty was clear of the vehicle, they were provided with immediate oxygen therapy by firefighters. The Midlands Air Ambulance from Cosford, carrying members of the critical care team, arrived at the scene shortly after the casualty had been extricated from the vehicle. The critical care team set about administering intravenous fluids and analgesics to help stabilise the casualty's condition.
"Thankfully the casualty showed some signs of improvement following treatment, they were transported to the major trauma unit at the Royal Stoke University Hospital by road ambulance on blue lights for further treatment and assessment. We wish them a full and speedy recovery from their injuries.
"We would like to thank the off-duty ambulance service technician and all the members of the public who stopped to help at the incident prior to the arrival of the emergency services."
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: "We were called to reports of a single car road traffic collision at 5.55pm yesterday (Monday, August 11) at the junction of Newtown and the A529, Drayton Bridge, Market Drayton.
"An ambulance and the Midlands Air Ambulance from Cosford responded to the scene.
"Crews arrived to find a man, the sole occupant of the vehicle, who had been extricated from the overturned car. Upon assessment ambulance staff found the man to have potentially serious injuries.
"He was given trauma care on scene before being conveyed by land ambulance on blue lights and sirens to Royal Stoke University Hospital for further trauma care."
