A woman remains in hospital following a crash involving a pedestrian and a bus at a crossing in Bishop Auckland town centre as an investigation into the incident begins.
Newgate Street and part of Princes Street in Bishop Auckland were closed for several hours from just after 10am this morning (November 13) after what was described as a "serious" crash.
Emergency services including police, the fire service, ambulance service and the Yorkshire Air Ambulance rushed to the scene and took a woman to hospital for further treatment.
"We dispatched an ambulance crew, a rapid response paramedic, and a clinical team leader, and received support from our colleagues at the Yorkshire Air Ambulance Charity and North East Immediate Care.
"One patient was transported to James Cook hospital by road for further treatment.”
A large police cordon was swiftly erected around the incident to begin an investigation as police warned motorists and pedestrians to find alternative routes and avoid the area.
Collision investigators were pictured walking on and off the bus, investigating the wheels and taking bags of evidence back to their van throughout the afternoon whilst snapping photos of their surroundings.
One woman who works at a nearby shop said: “This has been going on since after 9.30am. They all came here really quickly. The police helicopter has been circling too.
“This area is an accident hotspot. It was just last week there was an accident further up the road.”
Another passer-by said: “It’s just absolutely awful to see something like this.”
Other business owners operating nearby - many of whom simply saw the flashing lights of multiple police vehicles, despite being situated within the cordon.
The road reopened just after 3.30pm after the bus was towed from the scene and traffic is now running smoothly through the area.
Durham Constabulary and bus company Arriva have both onfirmed that an investigation is underway.
In their latest update, Durham Constabulary said: "The road has now been reopened. Officers would like to thank the public for their patience. An investigation is now ongoing and we will update you when we can."
A spokesperson for Arriva said: "An investigation into this incident is ongoing."
A spokesperson said : "It's been a busy morning for our critical care team in the North East - they've been called out on three occasions.
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"At 9.05 am, our doctor, paramedic, and pilot team were dispatched to a road traffic collision in Northumberland. While they were busy on the scene, we received two additional requests for advanced care. Unfortunately, due to heavy fog, our Langwathby crew couldn't respond.
"Thankfully, North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust was able to handle one incident efficiently, while our lovely friends at Yorkshire Air Ambulance stepped in for an incident in Bishop Auckland.
"We're incredibly fortunate to have such a dedicated network of teams ready to support in critical moments."
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