TWO serious road accidents left one man fighting for his life and another two in hospital as traffic chaos brought the town to a grinding halt last night.
A male motorcyclist was airlifted to hospital with “life-threatening” injuries after being involved in a collision with a car near Suffolk One in the first incident.
It happened in Scrivener Drive at the junction with Broad Meadow just before 3.30pm yesterday.
Police, fire and ambulance crews were called to the scene.
The male rider of the motorcycle was airlifted to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge with life threatening injuries, a police spokesman said.
An ambulance spokesman said the rider had suffered “multiple traumatic injuries” and a “suspected broken pelvis”.
The spokesman added the driver of the silver Vauxhall Astra did not require any medical treatment.
A Suffolk One spokesman said: “As far as we are aware, no staff or students were involved in the accident.”
To help police with their investigations, call 101.
And just hours later a three-vehicle pile-up caused hours of delays for commuters and left one elderly person – freed from a car after becoming trapped – in hospital.
The incident happened on the Orwell Bridge A14 eastbound just before 5.40pm.
Police, ambulance and fire crews were called to the scene. One eye-witness described the scene as “chaotic”.
An ambulance spokesman said: “Two elderly people were trapped in their car but were freed by firefighters.
“They were in a stable condition but were suffering from shock.
One of them was taken to Ipswich Hospital for further treatment. “It does not appear any other people involved in the crash required any medical treatment.”
A Suffolk Fire and Rescue service spokesman said: “Crews used hydraulic rescue equipment to remove the roof of the vehicle and release the casualties.”
A police spokesman said the two elderly people had suffered minor chest injuries.
The spokesman added: “One of the cars rolled over and landed on its roof in the collision.”
Lane two of the A14 eastbound later reopened at 7.02pm.
A witness caught up in the traffic chaos, who did not wish to be named, said: “There were loads of fire engines, ambulances and police.
“It looked pretty bad. It was chaotic.”
The vehicles involved in the collision were a Vauxhall Astra, a Ford Fiesta and a Nissan Qashqai.
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