Three ambulance staff members were taken to hospital after two ambulances collided on Prittlewell Chase near Southend Hospital today (Thursday, 15 October).
One of the ambulances crashed into a tree following the collision, which happened at around 11.50am.
The incident led to the closure of Prittlewell Chase eastbound between Westbourne Grove and Southend Hospital, with police and other emergency services attending the scene.
The East of England Ambulance Service confirmed that one ambulance was transporting a patient to hospital at the time, while the other was responding to a 999 emergency call.
A spokesperson for the East of England Ambulance Service said:
“We can confirm that two East of England Ambulance Service ambulances were involved in a road traffic collision on Prittlewell Chase in Southend around 11.50am today.
“At the time of the incident, one ambulance was transporting a patient to hospital, while the second was responding to a 999 call under emergency driving conditions.
“Three members of staff involved in the collision were taken to hospital for assessment and treatment. The patient being conveyed by ambulance was not injured in the incident and has been transferred to hospital by another ambulance.”
Soph Reed, who had been attending an appointment with her son nearby, described what she could see at the scene.
She said: “I was just there at an appointment with my son. I can only see an ambulance that’s crashed into the tree in the middle. A lot of emergency services present.”
Both ambulances were later recovered from the scene on the back of recovery trucks at around 3pm.
Drivers were advised to seek alternative routes while emergency services dealt with the incident.
The cause of the collision has not been confirmed.