Cop car and taxi in road smash

Feb 24 2011 by Leona Greenan, Hamilton Advertiser

A TAXI driver had a lucky escape at the weekend when a police car responding to a call out ploughed into the side of his vehicle.

The smash took place at around 7.10pm on Wishaw’s Glasgow Road, resulting in the normally busy street being closed for several hours.

The roof of the white vehicle, believed to be a Motherwell taxi, had to be removed by firefighters to free the man driver, whose legs were trapped inside.

Fortunately, there were no passengers in the taxi.

Police say the driver was treated for non life-threatening injuries at Wishaw General Hospital.

The woman cop who was driving the police vehicle and her male colleague passenger both escaped with minor injuries.

The police car was en route to the incident along Glasgow Road, towards Wishaw Main Street, when the collision happened.

The taxi was turning right from Cleland Road onto Glasgow Road.

An eyewitness to the aftermath of the crash told the Advertiser: “I was in Wishaw just after 10pm on Saturday and the road was still closed at that point with traffic being diverted.

“The taxi was a complete mess with the whole of the front end crushed.

“It was a real state, with debris strewn across the road.

“I’m sure emergency services would have had some job to get the driver out of the crushed car.”

Following the smash, the road was closed for five hours to allow police crash team investigators to carry out extensive inquiries at the scene.

A Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: “We received a call at around 7.15pm to Glasgow Road in Wishaw.

“Upon arrival both police officers were outwith their vehicle and receiving precautionary checks from ambulance staff.

“The male taxi driver was trapped inside his vehicle and had to be cut free by firefighters. He was then taken to Wishaw General Hospital where he was treated for head and leg injuries.”

A police spokesperson said that both drivers were taken to hospital where they were treated for non life-threatening injuries.

At the time of going to press, there was no update as to the cause of the incident.