A MAN was taken to hospital with serious injuries after a late night smash.
The driver, who is believed to be 34 and from Wheatley Hill, suffered internal and head injuries and was rushed to the University Hospital of North Durham.
Emergency services were called to the A181, at Wheatley Hill, at around 12.20am this mornin
g where a man was "precariously" trapped in his Mitsubishi Delica pick-up having catapulted 30 foot down an embankment.
Crews from Peterlee Fire Station said the vehicle was travelling in the direction of Thornley when it collided with a roundabout and launched into the air, eventually coming to rest in the ditch.
Crew Manager, Kevin Croft, said: "Paramedics at the scene were very concerned about his condition.
"He landed in a dangerous and precarious position off the road.
"The vehicle had dropped quite a distance.
"He was in a bad way. He was obviously in severe pain, though he remained semi-conscious the whole time we were there."
Fire crews took 15 to 20 minutes to stabilise the vehicle and released the man.
Crew manager Croft added: "It was dark and foggy and we did not know if anybody else had been thrown from the vehicle, so we thoroughly searched the surrounding area, but no-one else was found.
"The vehicle was badly damaged and will be a total write-off.
"The front of the car had virtually been ripped off."
The full article contains 244 words and appears in n/a newspaper.
