Ambulance response car damaged in crash on Great West Road in Heston

An ambulance response car was badly damaged in a collision on the A4 Great West Road in Heston on Thursday night, 8 October.

Footage shared with UB1UB2 shows the response car, its front end smashed in, and a dark saloon stopped in the middle of a junction at about 10.30pm. Police officers, fire crews and several ambulances were at the scene.

The person who filmed the aftermath said a grey car skidded and hit the ambulance response car and one other vehicle. The police and the London Ambulance Service have not confirmed how the collision happened.

What is known

The footage shows a white hatchback and the dark saloon on the carriageway close to the damaged response car. A firefighter in high-visibility clothing and several other people can be seen standing beside the vehicles while blue lights flash nearby.

It has not been officially confirmed whether anyone was hurt, whether the ambulance car was on its way to a call at the time, or whether anyone has been arrested. It is also not known how long that stretch of the road was affected.

Ambulance response cars are usually crewed by a single paramedic. They are sent to emergency calls so that a clinician can reach a patient quickly, often ahead of a full ambulance.

A busy route through Hounslow

The Great West Road is one of the main routes into and out of west London. It runs through Heston, Osterley and Hounslow, linking the M4 and the Chiswick area with Hounslow and Heathrow, and is busy with traffic at most times of the day and night.

The road has seen serious collisions before. In 2017 two children from a local school were injured when they were hit by a lorry on the A4 between Heston Road and Sutton Lane. One was taken to hospital by air ambulance.

Contacting the police

Anyone who saw the collision, or who has dashcam footage from the Great West Road at around 10.30pm on Thursday 8 October, can contact the police on 101. Information can also be given anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. In an emergency, always call 999.