An 18-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of drug driving following a serious two-vehicle collision near St Mary's Lighthouse in Whitley Bay that left four people requiring hospital treatment.
Emergency services, including police, paramedics and firefighters, were called to the incident on the St Mary's Island access road just before 8.30pm on Thursday, October 15. The road was closed while crews responded to the scene.
Emergency Response and Hospitalisations
Three fire engines from Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service spent nearly an hour at the scene, supported by three emergency ambulance crews, a clinical team leader and the Hazardous Area Response Team from North East Ambulance Service. Northumbria Police officers also attended.
North East Ambulance Service confirmed that three people were taken by ambulance to Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital (NSECH) in Cramlington, with a fourth person also receiving hospital treatment following the collision.
Arrest and Ongoing Enquiries
Northumbria Police confirmed that the 18-year-old was arrested at the scene and has been released on police bail while enquiries continue. The force described the injuries as serious but not life-threatening.
A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: "Just before 8.30pm on Thursday (October 15), we received a report of a two-vehicle collision on the access road just before St. Mary's Lighthouse in North Tyneside. Emergency services attended and four people were taken to hospital for the treatment of serious injuries not described as life-threatening."
The spokesperson added: "An 18-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of driving whilst driving under the influence of drugs. He has been released on police bail as enquiries continue. The road was closed for a short time whilst the vehicles were recovered but has since reopened."
Appeal for Information
Anyone with information is asked to contact Northumbria Police via social media direct message, the live chat and report forms on the Force's website, or by calling 101, quoting reference number 26000473381.
A Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: "We can confirm that on the evening of Thursday 15 October, three fire appliances attended a road traffic collision in North Tyneside. The emergency call was received by our Fire Control team at 8.25pm and three crews from Byker and Tynemouth Community Fire Stations were dispatched to a coastal address in Whitley Bay, where two vehicles had collided."
The spokesperson added: "Colleagues from Northumbria Police and North East Ambulance Service were also in attendance. Crews left the scene at 9.22pm."
