TWO van drivers were taken to hospital after their vehicles crashed in accidents that happened almost simultaneously on the same stretch of the Ipswich-bound A12 at Hatfield Peverel.

By Roddy Ashworth

TWO van drivers were taken to hospital after their vehicles crashed in accidents that happened almost simultaneously on the same stretch of the Ipswich-bound A12 at Hatfield Peverel.

The accidents happened at about 3.30pm today, and an operations manager, two ambulances and two rapid response cars were sent to the scene.

Manager Richard Crow said: “Initially the reports were of only one accident, but as it turned out there were two that happened very close together and happened almost simultaneously.

“One of them involved a white van that went up onto the barrier.

“The driver, a man in his 30s and from Chelmsford, had back pain and an injury to his right hip that I suspected to be a dislocation.

“We administered pain relief and fluids and collared and boarded him before taking him to Broomfield Hospital.”

Paramedic Lynnette Garstang said: “The other accident happened when a van went into the back of another vehicle.

“The driver was a 61-year-old man who had neck pain.

“He too was treated on the scene, immobilised with a neck collar and spinal board and taken to Broomfield Hospital.”

The Ipswich-bound track of the A12 was closed in the aftermath of the accident and congestion continued for more than two hours.