One dead, eight hurt in accidents across the region

Nov 30 2009 by Laura Caroe, The Journal

A MAN was killed and at least eight other people were seriously injured in separate crashes on the region’s roads over the weekend.

Police were called to Hertford, near its junction with Chowdene Bank, in Gateshead, after a Ford Mondeo taxi collided with a Vauxhall Vectra.

The driver of the Vectra, a 55-year-old man from the Gateshead area, was rescued by firefighters at around 12.45am on Sunday.

He had sustained serious injuries in the smash and was later pronounced dead at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

A 40-year-old man from the Birtley area and a 34-year-old man from London, were also taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Officers closed the road for three hours to allow a collision investigation to take place.

Six people were also injured in a head-on collision between a Vauxhall Insignia and a Citroen Picasso on the B1288 in Eighton Banks, in Gateshead, on Saturday.

Firefighters from Washington, Sunderland and Birtley stations, used cutting equipment to free the front passenger of the Vauxhall by removing the roof, before administering oxygen.

The passenger was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital by ambulance suffering from chest injuries after the crash at 7.52pm. The driver managed to get out of the car and sustained cuts to his head.