Gardaí continue to appeal for witnesses after multi-vehicle collision at Cork's Carr's Hill
A collision occurred on Carr's Hill in Cork on Thursday. Picture: Larry Cummins
Gardaí are continuing to appeal for witnesses to a horrific multi-vehicle collision that occurred near Cork City on Thursday.
A woman was left in the centre of "an impossible rescue" and is fighting for her life after her car was crushed by a shipping container in the incident.
Consultant in emergency medicine, Dr Jason van der Velde, described the rescue on the N28 on Thursday as one of "the most technically challenging extrications" he has ever been involved in.
It took three hours to free the woman from the wreckage.
"The skill of the firefighters, who guided the civilians with the heavy lifting equipment, was just phenomenal," he said.
"The fact that they were on scene so quickly, which meant she was extricated so quickly and cleanly, is why this woman survived the impact."
The accident occurred at Carr’s Hill, a notorious accident blackspot at one of the narrowest parts of the main Cork to Carrigaline and Ringaskiddy road, at around 1.15pm.
A Garda investigation is underway to establish what happened but it is understood that there was a collision involving a car and an articulated truck travelling in the opposite direction, which caused the truck to lose control, jackknife and flip onto a car also travelling in the opposite direction.
The container crushed this car and trapped its driver, a woman in her 50s and the sole occupant, inside.
Gardaí, national ambulance service paramedics, several units of the Cork City Fire Brigade and four critical care rapid response emergency doctors rushed to the scene, and gardaí closed the road. The road has since reopened.
Medics managed to stabilise the woman as builders working on the construction of the M28 motorway project nearby, offered the use of heavy lifting equipment.
During a complex operation in a challenging sloping environment, they lifted the container off the car, which allowed firefighters use their cutting equipment to free the woman from the wreckage.
She was then rushed by ambulance under Garda escort to Cork University Hospital where her condition is understood to be critical.
The driver of the truck was uninjured but was treated at the scene for shock. No other injuries were reported.
Gardaí have appealed to the public not to share video of the incident on social media or message apps.
Gardaí at Togher Garda Station have appealed to road users who were traveling on the N28 between 12.45pm and 1.45pm and who may have dash cam camera footage to make this available to gardaí.
