Latest
LUCKY ESCAPE
Miracle as seven cops SURVIVE horrific crash after high-speed chase with BMW – despite 5 police cars left mangled
Motorists faced huge delays with part of the A1 closed for hours
SEVEN police officers have miraculously survived a "serious" high-speed crash involving at least five cop cars.
The horror multi-vehicle smash took place in the early hours of this morning in Northumbria.
15
15
15
15
15
A man and woman, both in their twenties remain in police custody after being arrested following the incident.
Drivers were turned away for hours after the A1 between J73 (Sandwell) and J75 (Denton) was closed around 2.30am today.
The man was detained on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
Whilst the woman was arrested on suspicion of aiding and abetting dangerous driving.
Read More in UK News
DRAMATIC POLICE CHASE
At around 2am officers attempted to stop a car in the Whickham area of Gateshead due to concerns about the manner it was being driven.
The dark grey BMW M Sport then drove off and a pursuit was subsequently authorised, said Northumbria Police.
At 2.27am the car and five police vehicles were involved in a crash on the northbound section of the A1 near the Derwent Haugh Road junction.
Seven officers were taken to hospital, with what were described as non-life threatening injuries.
Most read in The Sun
Four have been discharged, two remain for observation and one is receiving treatment to a leg injury.
Two occupants of the BMW were uninjured.
Shocking pictures from the scene show a number of damaged police vehicles as well as an unmarked black car overturned on its side.
M1 closed after multi-car crash causing delays of more than an hour & queues for miles National Highways said it was now cleari
One cop car, a few metres ahead, appears to have suffered the worst damage out of the blue-light vehicles.
Debris and shattered glass remains strewn over the northbound carriageway following the horror.
Northumbria Police are on the scene as the investigation into the early hours collision continues.
A Forensic Collision Investigation Unit van has also been spotted on the road while evidence is being collected.
Recovery vehicles were at the scene of the pile-up to being clearing the significant damage.
Have you been affected by this incident? Email [email protected]
But major delays plagued drivers during rush hour as motorists continue to navigate the fallout.
Newcastle Airport advised anyone travelling this morning to allow additional travel time due to the incident.
The A-road is a key route to the airport which will likely be busy due to the Easter holidays.
A section of the A1 remains closed in both directions.
There are diversions in place from the Derwent Haugh Road junction northbound, and the A69 roundabout southbound.
15
15
15
15
15
15
National Highways Traffic officers are assisting with traffic management with temporary diversions in place.
Supt Michelle Caisley, from Northumbria Police, said: “Firstly, we want to wish all the officers who have been involved in the collision a full recovery.
“We would also thank all those who attended the scene, including our colleagues from Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service and the North East Ambulance Service.
“An investigation is under way to determine the full circumstances surrounding the incident and ask anyone with information that may assist us to come forward.
“We would also ask people to avoid speculation both online and in the community which could impact the investigation.
“We recognise this incident has caused significant delays and thank motorists for their patience. The road closure has been necessary in order for our collision investigation team to conduct their enquiries.”
National Highways advice for drivers
The A1 in TyneAndWear is closed in both directions between J73 Swalwell and J75 Denton due to a collision.
This is causing substantial delays up to 1 hour in both directions approaching the closure, with further heavy delays on local routes in the area and the A19.
There is no official diversion route for this section of the A1.
As such road users are urged to plan their route in ahead using alternative roads.
There are currently significant delays reported on approach to the closure in both directions.
Local roads in the vicinity are heavily congested.
The A19 to the east of Newcastle is heavily congested also as traffic from further afield is using it as an alternative to the A1.
A North East Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We received a call at 2.29am on Wednesday 9 April to reports of a road traffic collision on the A1 northbound near Denton, Newcastle.
"We dispatched five ambulance crews, a specialist paramedic, a duty officer, two crews from our Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) and requested support from our colleagues at the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) who attended by road.
"Five patients were transported to hospital for further treatment."
Anyone with information can send Northumbria Police a direct message on social media or use the live chat or report forms on the Force’s website.
Read More on The Sun
This includes anyone with CCTV or dashcam of the collision or the events leading up to this, including footage of the BMW.
The Sun has also reached out to the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) to see if they will be investigating the crash as a police car was involved.
What are your rights if you miss your flight due to traffic?
If you missed your flight due to traffic, the airline may label you as a no show and cancel your entire itinerary.
This is why it is important to call ahead and see if you can be rebooked on another flight so that you can still fly.
Chances are, you will need to pay the rebooking fee.
Unfortunately, most airlines don’t consider traffic jams as a valid reason for missing your flight.
So it is best that you check how much time you need to travel to the airport and leave early to avoid being late.
Source: AirHelp
15
15
15
15
Topics