An elderly man is in a critical condition after crashing into a barrier on a Northumberland road when he became unwell behind the wheel.
The 78-year-old man was driving on Astley Road in Seaton Delaval at around 11.50am on Wednesday (November 9) when his car collided with a barrier. Police officers and paramedics were called to the scene and the man was taken to Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital (NSECH) by ambulance in a critical condition.
A Northumbria Police spokeswoman said: "At 11.50am today (Wednesday) police were contacted by the ambulance service, who were in attendance at the scene of a one-vehicle collision on Astley Road in Seaton Delaval. It was reported a driver had become unwell and collided with a barrier.
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"Officers and emergency services attended and a 78-year-old man was taken to hospital in a critical condition."
Astley Road was closed for a short period while emergency services dealt with the incident but police have confirmed that the road has since reopened.
A North East Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: "We received a call at 11.40am this morning to reports of a road traffic incident on Astley Road, Seaton Delaval. We dispatched two ambulance crews, a specialist paramedic, a clinical team leader, and requested support from our colleagues at the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS).
"One patient was taken by road to the Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital (NSECH) for further treatment."
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