A driver was seriously injured in collision involving two lorries in the early hours of this morning.

A 45-year-old man was rushed to St George's Hospital in Tooting following the A23 Farthing Way (Coulsdon Bypass) at Brighton Road in Coulsdon at 3.40am.

The road was closed at 4am and 15 firefighters from Purley, Croydon and Wallington fire stations attended the incident.

Watch manager Darren Holden from Purley fire station said the accident happened when a lorry carrying alcohol drove into the back of another lorry that was stopped at the traffic lights.

He said: "The driver of the second lorry was squashed in the cab, it took us the best part of an hour to cut the cab away from him.

"We had to come from the front of the cab and cut the steering column away from him and from the front of the engine compartment."

London Ambulance Service said it sent one ambulance crew, a duty officer and a single responder in a car to the scene.

London's Air Ambulance also sent a crew by road and took the driver to hospital.  He was breathing and conscious and his injuries were not thought to be life-threatening.

The A23 Farthing Way remains closed northbound at the junction with Brighton Road and drivers are warned to expect delays.

Large vehicles are advised to find an alternative route.

 

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