IPSWICH: A woman was taken to hospital with suspected spinal injuries after the car she was driving collided with a telegraph pole.

Fire crews had to cut the vehicle’s roof off in order to free the middle-aged woman following the incident in Hawthorn Drive, on the Chantry estate, at 6.50pm yesterday evening.

Fire, police and ambulance crews were called to the scene of the incident. On arrival crews found that a Ford Focus had collided with a telegraph post near the Chantry clinic.

Martyn Thorpe, Group Manager from Suffolk Fire Service, said: “When we arrived the casualty, believed to be a middle-aged woman, was conscious but trapped in the vehicle.

“We then worked to cut the car’s roof off and free the woman.

“She was treated by paramedics and taken to hospital with suspected spinal injuries, although this was precautionary, I believe. Her car had been involved in quite a heavy collision. We’re not sure why it happened but there is substantial damage to her car and the telegraph post.

“I’ve also been told that the post is so badly damaged that a few telephone lines in the surrounding area have been cut off as a result.”

Following the incident, a crowd of people gathered by the side of the road to witness the drama unfold.

One man, who asked not to be named, said: “I saw loads of flashing blue lights and rushed out of my house to see what was going on. The car has been pretty badly smashed up and when I first saw it I thought it looked pretty serious.

“This road can get quite busy at certain times but it doesn’t look as if there was another car involved.”

n Did you see the crash and do you know who was driving the vehicle? Contact the Star newsdesk on 01473 324790 or e-mail starnews@eveningstar.co.uk