Two seriously injured in County Durham accidents

The first involved a car and a motorbike, on Bridge Street, Metal Bridge – between Spennymoor and Coxhoe - around 6.20pm.

Police says a Skoda Fabia and a Honda CBR 125 bike collided near the turning into the Poachers Pub car park, leaving the rider, a 34-year-old man from Coxhoe with serious injuries.

The Great North Air Ambulance Service was first on scene first and treated the patient before transporting him to a rendezvous point at Wynyard, where the GNAAS doctor-led trauma team arrived in a rapid response car to induce the male into a coma.

He was transported by road from Wynyard to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, where he arrived in a critical condition.

Police are particularly keen to trace a dark coloured van which turned into the pub car park just before the collision took place. The occupant of the van was then seen on CCTV offering assistance to the casualty.

And they also hope to trace the driver of another vehicle, a small, silver coloured car which was in the area at the time - though it is highly likely they were unaware of the collision.

The second incident took place shortly before 6.30pm on the A693, Chester Road, Stanley outside the East Stanley Methodist Church. A grey Citroen Berlingo was travelling east on the A693 when it struck an 89-year-old pedestrian, leaving her with serious injuries.

The victim, who is from Stanley is in a ‘comfortable’ condition in the RVI at Newcastle.

Police would like to speak with anybody who may have seen the Citroen Berlingo or the female pedestrian at or around the time of the collision. They would also like to speak to any motorists who may have dashcams in their vehicles that may have captured footage in the area at the time.

Anybody with information relating to either accident is asked to contact the Collision Investigation Unit on 0191 375 2159, or Durham Police on the non-emergency number 101.