A WOMAN is critically ill after suffering ‘life-changing’ injuries in a horrific car crash on the A1(M) in the early hours of this morning.

Emergency services were called to the incident involving a white VW Golf and a grey Ford Kuga shortly after 1.15am on the northbound carriageway, near the J62 turnoff for Durham.

A woman who was a passenger in the Ford Kuga sustained serious injuries and was taken to the RVI in Newcastle.

The three other occupants of the vehicle suffered minor injuries and were treated at University Hospital North Durham.

A man in his 20s has been arrested in connection with the incident and remains in police custody.

Duty group manager Paul Cummings, of County Durham Fire and Rescue Service, said: “When I arrived police, fire crews and ambulance were working together and they were concentrating the majority of their time to release two of their passengers who were still in the car with four individuals in it.

“There was debris over quite a large distance over the road. It was spread across the whole of the northbound carriageway.

“This has been a significant incident and the A1 northbound was completely closed.

“Because of the state of the vehicles after the accident it was a case of making sure that it was casualty based rescue and we took all of the precautions to make all of the casualties were extricated in the right manner and making sure they got care.”

Read more: Two officers injured after teenage driver collides with police van

Mr Cummings said the woman had suffered potentially life-changing injuries.

He said: “Fire crews extricated all casualties from the main vehicle.

“As there was possible life-changing injuries to one of those casualties, an investigation will be carried out by colleagues from the police."

North East Ambulance Service sent a rapid response paramedic, two hazardous area response teams, three emergency ambulance crews, a clinical team leader and the doctor from Great North Air Ambulance.

A NEAS spokesperson said: “We received a call to 999 at 1:17am this morning to a road traffic collision on the A1 north near Belmont in which two people were thought to be trapped.

“Three patients were transported to University Hospital North Durham and a further patient was taken to the RVI in Newcastle.”

Durham Constabulary has confirmed an investigation is underway.

A force spokeswoman said: “Emergency services were called to the incident involving a white VW Golf and a grey Ford Kuga shortly after 1.15am on the northbound carriageway, close to J62 Carrville.

"A woman who was a passenger in the Ford Kuga sustained serious injuries. The three other occupants of the vehicle suffered minor injuries. No-one else was injured.

"A man in his 20s has been arrested in connection with the incident and remains in police custody.

"The road was closed for several hours to allow collision investigators to work at the scene and for the barrier to be repaired."

Witnesses are asked to call Durham Constabulary on 101, quoting incident reference 37 of May 22.

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