Seven injured in Southport car smash

Sep 25 2008 By Helen Hunt

SEVEN people had to be taken to hospital after a two car crash in Southport.

The smash happened at around 4pm today (Thursday, Sept 25) on Shore Road in Ainsdale.

The collision involved a Vauxhall Vectra and a Toyota Avensis car and happened near the Pontins roundabout.

One of the cars overturned and landed on the sand dunes.

Three adults were trapped and one other managed to walk free.

A huge scale operation was launched to rescue those affected.

A spokesman for North West Ambulance Service said they sent four ambulances, the air ambulance and three rapid response cars - one with a doctor onboard.

A medical team from Southport District General Hospital was also sent to the crash.

Fire officers helped ambulance workers remove the trapped patients from the wreckage. They were then taken to hospital.

At this stage it is thought three of the patients have serious but non-life-threatening injuries and a fourth is "walking wounded". Three are over sixty and one is over eighty-years-of-age.

The condition of the other three people involved is not known at this stage.

The road has been closed in both directions and accident investigators were heading to the scene.

A spokesman for Merseyside Police said: "The collision was on the coastal road, seven people have been taken to hospital from the two vehicle collision between a Vectra and a Toyota Avensis.

"They have all been freed by the fire brigade. Three from the Vectra and four from the Avensis on its roof."

A spokeswoman for Merseyside Fire and Rescue said: "We got the call at 15.51pm. Two females in their sixties and one male in his sixties rescued from the car.

"One conveyed to hospital. Two assessed at the scene. There were seven casualties in total. They were taken to Southport General Hospital."