Lorry driver trapped for 3 hours on A11

A 32-year-old lorry driver had to be air-iifted to hospital after being trapped in his cab for almost three hours following a crash on the A11. The articulated lorry overturned and went into a ditch following a crash with a car on the dual carriageway at Bridgham Heath, near Thetford, at about 10.25am on Saturday.

The accident happened on the Norwich-bound carriageway, which was shut, and police also had to close the Thetford-bound carriageway to allow two East Anglian Air Ambulances to land,

Four fire crews were called to the scene to free the lorry driver. The Anglia One air ambulance was called due to the potentially serious nature of the patient’s injuries. Critical care paramedics Jemma Varela and Andy Downes attended the patient while he was trapped in his cab, administering pain relief and monitoring injuries to his leg and arm. The Anglia Two air ambulance was also called because it was feared that the patient might require on scene anaesthesia and a Magpas doctor, authorised to perform this procedure, was aboard. But it was not needed.

He was flown to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital at about 1.50pm and his condition was described as stable. Both sections of the A11 were closed for several hours and motorists faced long hold-ups and diversions. Among those affected were Norwich City fans heading to Saturday’s Championship match at QPR.