Video footage has captured the moment a police car ploughed into a metal barrier on a busy main road in Oldham. The crash sparked a huge emergency services response with the road closed for a number of hours.
Numerous cordons were erected on Ashton Road shortly after 4.30pm on Wednesday as enquiries were made at the scene. The driver of the police car suffered minor injuries to his face.
In the CCTV clip, the crash, which unravelled in just a matter of seconds, appears to show the police car driving on the right-hand side of the road, with blue lights flashing.
And as a white car indicates to turn right, into the Tesco Express car park on Ashton Road, the police car clips the vehicle before crashing head on into the metal barrier, which instantly crushes the bonnet.
Pictures taken from the scene on Wednesday night show the extent of the damage caused to the police car, which had a crushed bonnet, with the railing ripping through the centre of the vehicle.
Onlookers reported how they heard a 'massive bang' on Wednesday afternoon, with swarms of police, fire crews and paramedics racing to the scene. The road remained closed for almost three hours, reopening shortly after 7.15pm.
Among crowds of bystanders, there were reports that helicopters had been flying overhead in the moments leading up to a crash. It has yet to be confirmed if this was related to the police car involved.
A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said: "At around 4.30pm on Wednesday, October 19, we received a report of a police vehicle accident on Ashton Road, Oldham after officers were on their way responding to a separate incident. NWAS and GMFRS attended, and the driver of the police vehicle was taken to hospital and suffered minor injuries to his face.
"No one else was injured."
A GMFRS Spokesperson said: “At approximately 4.40pm on Wednesday, October 19, firefighters were called to reports of a road traffic collision on Ashton Road, in Oldham.
“Two fire engines from Oldham and Hollins stations, alongside the Technical Response Unit from Ashton-under-Lyne, quickly attended the scene. The collision involved two vehicles. Fire crews worked to make the scene safe and were in attendance for approximately one hour.”
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