M40 crash: Sixteen people injured after minibus overturned on Warwickshire border

Jun 10 2012

Sixteen people were injured when a minibus overturned on the M40 on the Warwickshire and Oxfordshire border.

West Midlands Ambulance Service was called to the southbound carriageway of the M40 between junctions 12 at Gaydon and 11 at Banbury at 3.30pm on Saturday afternoon.

A paramedic area support officer, a senior paramedic officer, five ambulances, paramedics from the Trust’s Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) and a patient transport services vehicle were sent to the scene. South Central Ambulance Service also sent several vehicles to offer assistance.

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: “When crews arrived, they found a minibus on its side on the carriageway of the motorway. All sixteen occupants were out of the vehicle and had a range of injuries.

“With a large number of ambulance personnel working as a team at the scene, the casualties were quickly triaged to assess their injuries and conditions. Fortunately, no-one had life threatening injuries but all required treatment by crews.

“Of the sixteen, the most severely injured were two men. One suffered a fractured arm, the other had back pain and both sustained deep lacerations to their arms. Both men were treated on scene before being taken to John Radcliffe Hospital by land ambulance on blue lights.

“A further two patients were taken to the same hospital; a man with pelvic, abdominal and back pain and another with a possible chest injury.

“Seven other patients were transported to various hospitals by land ambulance, all complaining of back pain or injuries to their shoulder. A further five patients suffered minor injuries and were taken by a patient transport vehicle to Warwick Hospital as a precaution.

“Given the number of patients involved and the nature of the incident, it was remarkable that no one was more seriously or even fatally injured. This was a good example of how the Trust’s range of multi-skilled staff and the mutual aid from a neighbouring ambulance service worked well together to ensure the patient’s received the very best care possible.”