Woman being carried in ambulance dies after crash with council lorry near Dolgellau

The crash between an ambulance and a tipper lorry took place on the A470 on Thursday. Credit: PA Images

A female patient being carried in an ambulance died after a crash with a council lorry. The drivers of both vehicles were also injured with one of them sustaining serious injuries.

The accident took place near Dolgellau, with the A470 closed in both directions on Thursday afternoon. North Wales Police urged drivers to avoid the area at the time between Dolgellau and Llanelltyd, while paramedics and firefighters were also called out.A witness said: "The tipper part of the council lorry has slid off the lorry. It's completely off the lorry and is on its side."There are two fire engines, two ambulances and several police cars here."The road has been closed and traffic officers in fluorescent jackets and masks are working on the road. They seem to be taking measurements."

Emergency services were called to the scene and the road was closed on Thursday afternoon.

A North Wales Police spokesman said: "Sadly a woman has died following a road traffic collision on the A470 in Meirionnydd earlier this afternoon."At 13:12, police were notified of a two-vehicle collision involving a tipper van and a Welsh Ambulance Service Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service vehicle near Talrafon, between Dolgellau and Llanelltyd."He said the emergency services were called to the scene and three people were treated and taken to hospital.The male driver of the ambulance vehicle was airlifted to Ysbyty Gwynedd with serious injuries and the male driver of the tipper van was taken to Ysbyty Bronglais in Aberystwyth with a leg injury.The spokesman added: "A woman, who was a patient in the ambulance vehicle, sadly died on her way to the hospital. Her family and the coroner have been informed."Sergeant Raymond Williams of the Roads Policing Unit is appealing for anybody who may have witnessed the incident to contact officers.He said: "We’d like to offer our sincerest sympathies to the woman’s family at this difficult time."Sadly this is now being investigated as a fatal road traffic collision, so we are appealing to anybody who may have information; or anybody who may have been travelling along the A470 and who may have dash cam footage, to contact us immediately."

Work is ongoing to establish what happened. Credit: PA Images

Anybody who may have witnessed the collision, or who may have information that could assist with the investigation, is asked to contact officers at the Roads Policing Unit on 101 or via the live web chat.

Mark Harris, the Welsh Ambulance Service ’s Assistant Director of Operations for the Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service, said work is ongoing to establish what happened.He said: “Shortly after 1pm on Thursday, 8 April 2021, one of our Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service vehicles was involved in a collision with another vehicle on the A470 nearTalrafon, Dolgellau."We sent multiple resources to the scene, where crews were supported by Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service colleagues in a Wales Air Ambulance."Our thoughts are with all involved in the collision, and we are now working with colleagues at North Wales Police to establish exactly what happened.”A Gwynedd Council spokesperson said one of its vehicles was involved.He said: "We can confirm that a council vehicle was involved in an accident near Dolgellau this afternoon. The police are dealing with the incident and we await further information."