Firefighters have urged drivers to take care on the roads and avoid distractions after four crashes on roads around north Surrey kept emergency services busy last night.
Two of the accidents took place just three minutes and about 200 yards apart.
A 45-year-old woman suffered with head and neck injuries, and a 30-year-old man was left with a suspected broken leg, according to firefighters, after a crash in Winkworth Road, Banstead near the A217 Brighton Road (pictured below).
Pic credit: Google Maps
The man had shunted the woman “with quite some force” into the central reservation of the A217 at 7.06pm, and both cars – a saloon and a 4x4, respectively – were probably written off, the spokesman from Banstead fire station added.
Three minutes later, three cars crashed at 7.09pm near the junction of the A217 with Fir Tree Road. Firefighters from Epsom fire station – called because the Banstead crew were busy with the first crash – treated a woman for neck and back injuries at the side of the road, but she did not require further treatment.
“It is one of those things, unfortunately, that when you get accidents in close proximity it can be because people are concentrating on the accident,” a spokesman from Epsom fire station.
“But that split second can make all the difference.
“At least no one was badly injured.”
But the night was not yet over for the crews from Banstead and Epsom.
A car seemingly clipped a post and overturned in Thorndon Gardens, Ewell (pictured above), just off the A240 Ewell bypass, at about 11.15pm.
There was a bit of damage to the “road furniture”, a firefighter said, but there were no injuries.
A 34-year-old man suffered head injuries and was treated at the scene after crashing into a tree at about 11.43 in “little country lane” Coulsdon Lane, Chipstead (pictured below).
Firefighters initially attended to the man before an ambulance crew from the South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) treated him.
“It was a big tree and trees don’t move,” a spokesman from Banstead fire station said.
SECAmb and Surrey Fire and Rescue Service piloted a co-responding initiative between firefighters and paramedics in September 2015. The scheme – in which firefighters are trained in giving first aid – has since been rolled out across the county.
The Banstead fire spokesman added: “We have only been doing it for about a year, but it does come in handy.”
Did you see anything? Get in touch at craig.richard@london.newsquest.co.uk
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