Pictured: Firemen forced to cut off roof from £16,000 police car to rescue injured woman

Firemen had to cut the roof off a £16,000 police car to get to a crash victim with back injuries who officers had put inside for her comfort.



The two-year-old estate patrol car was a write-off after firefighters used specialist cutting gear to allow the injured woman to be carried out on a spinal board.

The incident happened after the casualty was hurt when she was in collision with another vehicle in Fakenham, Norfolk, just after 9am on Tuesday.

Firemen had to cut the roof off this police car to rescue an injured woman

She was put in the police car for her safety amid fears she would collapse.

But paramedics decided she needed to be removed from the vehicle on a spinal board - and as a result the roof had to be cut off.

The public and emergency services are regularly warned to leave people with back injuries alone in case moving them makes them worse.

But Supt David Marshall, of Norfolk Police, defended the traffic officers' decision to sit the woman in their car.

The senior officer said: 'Our priority is always the public of Norfolk. In this incident the actions of the officers at the scene once again reinforces this.



'The victim's vehicle received rear-end damage and the woman driver was suffering from shock and was disorientated.

The 16,000 police car was a write-off once firemen had finished

'For her own safety and welfare, and in view of busy traffic on this road, she was placed in the police car until paramedics arrived.'

He added: 'The damage to the police vehicle is unfortunate. But it is essential that the welfare of the injured party remains paramount, with officers being guided by the medical assessment of health care professionals who attended.

An East of England Ambulance Service spokesman said the woman, who has not been named, had also been involved in a crash just weeks ago.

The distraught woman was in agony and paramedics warned she had to be taken out of the police car on a special spinal board to prevent further injury.

She was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital at King's Lynn and treated for suspected spinal injuries.



