Grief of paramedics after one killed and two injured in crash with cement truck
6 January 2022, 11:08 | Updated: 6 January 2022, 14:52
A paramedic has died and two other medics have been injured in a horror crash involving a cement truck and an ambulance in Kent.
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Emergency services raced to the scene on the southbound carriageway of the A21 near Tonbridge just after 8pm last night.
Three members of staff were travelling in the ambulance but they were not transporting a patient at the time of the crash.
South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust confirmed today that a female paramedic had been killed.
A second medic in the ambulance was seriously injured and a student paramedic, who was travelling in the rear of the vehicle, was taken to hospital with a head injury.
It is with huge sadness that we confirm the death of a paramedic involved in a collision on the A21, near Tonbridge, Kent, yesterday evening (5 January 2022). A full statement is available here: https://t.co/rvHhlXnTbk pic.twitter.com/k1ckQYwCSm
— South East Coast Ambulance (@SECAmbulance) January 6, 2022
The driver of the cement truck suffered minor injuries, South East Coast Ambulance Service said.
South East Coast Ambulance service posted online: "It is with huge sadness that we confirm the death of a paramedic involved in a collision on the A21, near Tonbridge, Kent, yesterday evening."
The air ambulance, police and fire crews rushed to the scene. The male paramedic who suffered multiple serious injuries was airlifted to Kings College Hospital in London where he is undergoing treatment.
All of us @Ldn_Ambulance are immensely saddened to hear that one of our colleagues @SECAmbulance has passed away. We send our deepest condolences to the paramedic’s family, friends and colleagues.
— Daniel Elkeles (@danielelkeles) January 6, 2022
Our thoughts are with them and with the paramedic and student paramedic injured. https://t.co/E6cqqkrEB2
SECAmb Executive Director of Operations Emma Williams said: “We are deeply saddened by the loss of our colleague and our heart-felt sympathies go to her family, friends and colleagues at this very difficult time.
"Our thoughts are also with the other injured staff members as well as all of those who responded to the incident.
“We are supporting the police in their enquiries and would urge anyone who may have witnessed the incident to contact them.”
London Ambulance service posted online: "This is tragic news and all our thoughts and sympathies are with the family, friends and colleagues of the paramedic who has sadly passed away."
The road which links London, Tunbridge Wells in Kent and Hastings in East Sussex has now reopened after being closed overnight.
Kent police have asked for anyone with dashcam footage of the incident to come forward.
Kent Police said they were called to the scene at 8.16pm last night following a report of a collision involving an ambulance and a cement lorry.
Officers from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit are investigating.
