A MAN who posted images of a serious car accident on social media has been criticised by the motorist, who had to be airlifted to hospital.

Pauline Squire said it was “morally wrong and distressing” for Robert Beagle to put images and video online following a collision on the B6279 crossroads at Kinninvie, near Barnard Castle, County Durham, on Thursday, October 31.

However, Mr Beagle said he was simply trying to highlight safety issues at the junction, which, he added, had been the scene of several accidents and near misses in recent years.

Ms Squire and her passenger, Tracey Crombie, were on their way to Wheatley Hill from Barnard Castle when they were in collision with a Land Rover Discovery which was pulling a trailer. A third vehicle, a Ford Focus, was also caught up in the incident.

Both women were trapped and had to be freed from Ms Squire's Seat Ibiza before being flown to the James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough.

Ms Squire, a swimming coach, of Middleton-in-Teesdale, spent three days undergoing treatment for injuries to her pelvis, ribs and other soft tissue damage.

Ms Crombie, also of Middleton-in-Teesdale, suffered whiplash and bruising.

“I had dropped my daughter off at a Halloween event,” said Ms Squire.

“We were coming from Barnard Castle heading to Wheatley Hill and it was a road I had never been on before. I did not realise the junction was there.

“Rather than helping, this man thought it would be good to post a video on You Tube.

“His first instinct was to get his camera and film two screaming women. My daughter saw that before she saw me.

“None of my family have been able to get up, but they have seen the video and it is distressing.”

Mr Beagle has removed some footage from You Tube, but a 13-second CCTV clip of the accident remains online.

He said: “I am trying to raise awareness. There should not be a problem at the junction – there are five signs before you get to it, but every week someone crosses that road without stopping.

“We do not want to go out there to find dead bodies in the road.

“There must have been at least 10 accidents in the years we have been here.”