Driver released from car following head-on collision on A53 near Market Drayton
A male driver is recovering in hospital after a head-on collision involving a car and a large goods vehicle on the A53 near Market Drayton yesterday afternoon.
Emergency services were alerted to the incident at 5.05 pm on Thursday, 5 March, with reports suggesting motorists were trapped within the wreckage between the Gingerbread and Drayton Fields roundabouts.
Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service dispatched a significant response to the scene, including rescue pumps from Market Drayton, Hodnet, and Prees. They were supported by a specialist rescue tender from Wellington and a senior operations officer. Upon arrival, crews discovered both vehicles had sustained a significant amount of damage, with the car coming to rest in a field.
Before official help arrived, the trapped driver was tended to by two off-duty firefighters and bystanders who stopped to assist. Firefighters quickly deployed heavy-duty hydraulic cutting and spreading equipment to begin the delicate process of extricating the man. To ensure his safety during the operation, a firefighter trained in advanced trauma care entered the vehicle to provide medical stabilisation while the roof and doors were removed.
West Mercia Police officers immediately cordoned off the stretch of the A53, closing the road in both directions to allow the rescue teams to work. The response was further bolstered by the arrival of the Midlands Air Ambulance carrying a specialist critical care team. Following a detailed handover from the fire service’s medical lead, the air ambulance medics took over the casualty’s care.
Once successfully freed from the vehicle, the driver was transported to hospital via land ambulance. The driver of the LGV, though understandably shaken by the ordeal, escaped the collision without physical injury.
The road remained closed for several hours while recovery of the vehicles was completed and investigators examined the scene.
