A mother was killed today and her two
children seriously hurt after their car crashed into a fire engine that
was dashing to the scene of another fatal road accident.
The woman's red Mini Cooper ploughed head-on into the 13 tonne truck half-a-mile away from where a man was killed after his car struck a tree.
None of the six-man crew of the fire engine, that had its blue lights flashing at the time, were hurt and they battled to save the victim and help her two sons.
The boys, aged 10 and 14, were cut free from the car and airlifted to hospital with serious, but non-life threatening, injuries.
The two accidents happened 20 minutes apart near Poole, Dorset.
The emergency services were first called at 7.50am today after a silver Ford Focus hit a tree on a verge on the A35.
The driver, a man aged in his 60s, was pronounced dead at the scene.
There were no witnesses to the crash but police are looking into the possibility the man fell ill at the wheel.
The fire engine, from Wareham fire station, was one of three from Dorset Fire and Rescue that were scrambled to attend the crash.
At 8.10am it was involved in the horrific collision on the B3075 with the Mini Cooper.
The crash caused the fire tender to veer off the road and come to rest in a hedge.
Sergeant Stuart Pitman, of Dorset police, said: 'The male driver of the Ford Focus was pronounced dead at the scene but fire crews were requested to attend.
'While we were dealing with that incident and a very short time another call came in of another very serious collision on the B3075 where a head-on crash had occurred between a red Mini and a fire engine responding to the first incident.
'There were three occupants in the Mini and one of them, a woman, was pronounced dead at the scene.
'The firemen were not injured and they tended to the woman and two passengers but sadly there was nothing that could be done to save the driver.
'The two passengers were released from the vehicle and airlifted to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
'The fire brigade is cooperating with the police investigation.
'Obviously they are two separate, horrific collisions but are tragically linked due to the fire engine attending the first incident.
'Our thoughts are with the families of the two casualties involved at this tragic time.'
Dorset and Somerset and Hampshire and Isle of Wight air ambulances flew the two boys to the Southampton General Hospital.
Jane Stevens, 39, who lives close to the accident scene, said: 'I could hear sirens goingand then I heard quite a loud crash.
'I looked out of the window and saw the red car and that a fire engine with blue lights was already there so I left it.
'All I could see was the flashing lights of the fire truck and the roof of the red car.
'It is tragic. As a mum I am really sorry that someone has died.'
Police are appealing for witnesses to both fatal crashes.
The woman's red Mini Cooper ploughed head-on into the 13 tonne truck half-a-mile away from where a man was killed after his car struck a tree.
None of the six-man crew of the fire engine, that had its blue lights flashing at the time, were hurt and they battled to save the victim and help her two sons.
The boys, aged 10 and 14, were cut free from the car and airlifted to hospital with serious, but non-life threatening, injuries.
A woman driver of a Mini Cooper was killed and
her two children were seriously injured after a head-on collision with
the fire engine on the B3075 in Dorset today
The emergency services were first called at 7.50am today after a silver Ford Focus hit a tree on a verge on the A35.
The driver, a man aged in his 60s, was pronounced dead at the scene.
There were no witnesses to the crash but police are looking into the possibility the man fell ill at the wheel.
The fire engine, from Wareham fire station, was one of three from Dorset Fire and Rescue that were scrambled to attend the crash.
At 8.10am it was involved in the horrific collision on the B3075 with the Mini Cooper.
None of the six-man crew in the fire engine were injured in the crash
Sergeant Stuart Pitman, of Dorset police, said: 'The male driver of the Ford Focus was pronounced dead at the scene but fire crews were requested to attend.
'While we were dealing with that incident and a very short time another call came in of another very serious collision on the B3075 where a head-on crash had occurred between a red Mini and a fire engine responding to the first incident.
'There were three occupants in the Mini and one of them, a woman, was pronounced dead at the scene.
'The firemen were not injured and they tended to the woman and two passengers but sadly there was nothing that could be done to save the driver.
'The two passengers were released from the vehicle and airlifted to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
'The fire brigade is cooperating with the police investigation.
'Obviously they are two separate, horrific collisions but are tragically linked due to the fire engine attending the first incident.
'Our thoughts are with the families of the two casualties involved at this tragic time.'
Dorset and Somerset and Hampshire and Isle of Wight air ambulances flew the two boys to the Southampton General Hospital.
Jane Stevens, 39, who lives close to the accident scene, said: 'I could hear sirens goingand then I heard quite a loud crash.
'I looked out of the window and saw the red car and that a fire engine with blue lights was already there so I left it.
'All I could see was the flashing lights of the fire truck and the roof of the red car.
'It is tragic. As a mum I am really sorry that someone has died.'
Police are appealing for witnesses to both fatal crashes.