By Martin Naylor
Derby Evening Telegraph
DERBY, England — A passing motorist drove air-ambulance paramedics two miles to the scene of a road crash when fog stopped them landing their helicopter closer.
An air ambulance spokesman said the man saw the crew land and stopped his car to drive them to the incident just before 10am yesterday.
Firefighters had to cut the driver of a green BMW free from his car after it collided with a Ford Transit taxi in South Derbyshire.
The incident happened on the A514 between Stanton by Bridge and Ticknall.
Police said a 65-year-old man, who was a passenger in the taxi, was taken to the Royal Derby Hospital to be treated for chest injuries.
Steve Bainbridge, crew manager at Kingsway Fire Station, said it took firefighters around an hour to cut the driver of the BMW out of his car.
He said: “The driver looked like he had suffered a few broken bones, but by the time we left at around 11am, he looked OK.
“All three of the people - the two drivers and a passenger in the taxi - were taken to hospital.”
A police spokesman said it was not yet clear how the accident happened, but officers were investigating whether early morning snowfall on the road may have been a factor.
Kit Edwards from Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland Air Ambulance said colleagues from Warwickshire and Northamptonshire flew to the accident as their helicopter was out on another job.
She said: “Because of the weather conditions, the helicopter could only land in a field around two miles away from where the accident happened.
“Staff got out of the helicopter and were making their way to the scene when a passing motorist, who had seen them land, stopped and gave them a lift to the scene.
“When they got there, paramedics from East Midlands Ambulance Service were already there so our staff started to make their way back. “And a different motorist, this time driving a van, even gave them a lift back.
“It is great that the public helped us so much by doing this and we would like to thank them.”
Salesman Anthony Lymer, 47, of Belper, was driving to see a customer in Swadlincote and was the first member of the public at the scene.
He said: “I was going over the brow of a hill and my car must have slid 20 to 30 yards because the snow was an inch or two deep.
“I saw the two vehicles in the road ahead of me but I didn’t see the accident, just the aftermath, and I stopped and called 999.”
“I don’t know if the snow was the reason for the crash, but from my experience, it seems like it might have possibly been a factor.”
The road was closed for three hours while the vehicles were recovered.
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