By James Mortlock and Richard SmithA FOUR-year-old girl was fighting for her life last night after she was airlifted to hospital with "critical" head injuries following a road crash.

By James Mortlock and Richard Smith

A FOUR-year-old girl was fighting for her life last night after she was airlifted to hospital with "critical" head injuries following a road crash.

A teenager was also in a critical condition in hospital last night after suffering serious head injuries when the motorbike he was riding collided with a wall.

The young girl, the daughter of an American serviceman, was injured in a two-car accident in Mildenhall and it took the East Anglian Air Ambulance only 10 minutes to get her to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.

Crew members had to wait for about half-an-hour while fire-fighters used hydraulic cutting gear to free the youngster and her mother, who is aged in her 20s and suffered serious pelvic and spinal injuries in the pile-up.

Bob Brotchie, spokesman for the air ambulance, said both mother and daughter had been taken by the helicopter to Addenbrooke's Hospital and added the treatment given during the flight had included IV fluid, pain relief and spinal and pelvic immobilisation.

As well as the helicopter, two land ambulances, a rapid response vehicle and paramedic and an off-duty paramedic were involved in the rescue operation.

The American family were travelling in a red Sierra when the accident happened at just after 1pm on Saturday on the A1065.

Doctors said last night the girl remained in a critical condition, while her mother's injuries were described as serious, but not life-threatening.

A Suffolk police spokesman said officers were now investigating what had caused the accident, which also involved a Mercedes car, and he appealed for any witnesses to come forward.

He added there had been five people in the Sierra and, as well as the four-year-old girl and her mother, the three occupants of the car had needed medical treatment, either at hospital or at the scene.

The spokesman said the people who had been travelling in the Mercedes had suffered only minor injuries and had not needed hospital treatment.

In the second accident, a teenager serious head injuries after his motorcycle collided with a wall and he was in a "critical" condition at Addenbrooke's Hospital last night.

The 17-year-old – who has not been named, but who comes from the Shotley area – was riding a Cagiva motorcycle at about 6pm on Saturday on the B1456 at Shotley when the accident happened. He was first taken to Ipswich Hospital, but was later transferred to Addenbrooke's Hospital.

Anyone with information about the A1065 accident in Mildenhall should contact Suffolk police on 01284 774224.