A fire engine overturned on its way to another accident in Suffolk this morning in which a child suffered serious fractures.
Suffolk police said the firefighters were travelling along Lower Road in Onehouse, near Stowmarket, when their vehicle overturned at about 9am.
It had been travelling to free passengers trapped in their vehicles after another accident in Stowmarket Road, Shelland, less than a mile away.
A van and car had collided just before 8.40am, with the car crashing into a tree on the roadside.
Paramedics treated four patients at the scene including two adults and two children. One of the children was flown to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge with back and leg injuries. The adults were both taken to West Suffolk Hospital with one patient suffering chest pain while the other’s injuries are unknown. The other child was taken to the same hospital with serious fractures.
A spokesman for the East of England Ambulance Service said one of the firefighters was taken Ipswich Hospital with head injuries, which are not thought to be critical. He had been knocked unconscious in the accident and pulled from vehicle by his colleagues and paramedics.
None of the injuries are thought to be life-threatening.
Suffolk County Council said three fire engines had been dispatched to attend the Shelland accident and the crew whose vehicle overturned had come from Stowmarket.
Deputy chief fire officer Mark Sanderson said: “The details of the collision are still not clear but the fire engine was responding to an emergency when the incident happened.
“Our focus right now is on supporting our crew members and ensuring their families know they are safe.
“We believe that no other vehicles, other than the Stowmarket fire appliance, were involved.
“One crew member was injured in the collision and has subsequently been taken to hospital and, whilst we are still waiting for more information regarding his condition, we do not believe this to be serious.”
Five firefighters were on board, including the injured crew member.
A total of 17 firefighters had been dispatched to the Shelland accident.
Roads have been closed at both sites.
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