A 50-year-old man had to be cut free from his vehicle and airlifted to hospital, following a rush hour car crash on the A19 outside Hartlepool on Thursday (04/12/09).

Local newspaper the Peterlee Mail reports that the accident occurred at around 5pm on the southbound carriageway of the A19 at Dalton Piercy.

The victim and a companion were travelling in a Ford Transit van, when it was in a collision with a DAF heavy goods vehicle. The carriageway was closed and the tailback grew to be three miles long at one stage.

Firefighters attending the scene said they encountered two other incidents of vehicles shunting each other as they tried to reach the accident scene. No injuries were reported at the scene of these accidents, however.

The unnamed man who was cut free from the Ford Transit van was airlifted by police helicopter to the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, after sustaining serious internal injuries in the accident. Doctors said that his condition was stable.

Temporary watch manager at Stranton Fire Station, Kevin Harrison, said:

The Transit van received fairly severe front end damage and the passenger was trapped in his seat because of his injuries. We had to cut the door off in order to release the passenger and then stabilised him in conjunction with the paramedics.’

Inspector Ian Grunwell of Cleveland Police said

‘Cleveland Police are appealing for witnesses after a serious collision occurred on the A19 southbound at the Middle Stotfold Farm junction, near Hartlepool.’

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