A pensioner was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries after two cars crashed near Budleigh Salterton on Sunday afternoon (July 27).
A woman and man from Exeter suffered serious injuries after the Peugeot 306 they were travelling in crashed with a Citroen C4 at around 4pm on the B3178, at Knowle Hill, near East Budleigh.
Police want to hear from anyone who witnessed the crash, which also resulted in two pensioners from Budleigh Salterton needing treatment for minor injuries.
The road, which leads from the common to Budleigh and onto East Budleigh, was closed for several hours while police carried out a crash scene investigation.
When fire crews arrived, they found two people trapped in a vehicle, and two people clear of their car. One person was freed by the fire service.
A Devon and Cornwall Police spokesperson said: “Officers are appealing for information following a serious collision in Budleigh Salterton which left four people injured.
“Emergency services were called at 4.15pm on Sunday 27 July to a two-car collision on the B3178 at Knowle Hill.
“The incident involved a Citroen C4 and a Peugeot 306.
“A 67-year-old woman from the Peugeot was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries and the 62-year-old male driver also sustained serious injuries. Both are from Exeter.
“Two people from the Citroen, a 79-year-old man and a 68-year-old woman from Budleigh Salterton, were treated for minor injuries.”
The spokesperson added: “Roads policing officers closed the road for seven hours to conduct an investigation of the scene.”
Fire crews from Exmouth and Middlemoor, in Exeter, were called to reports of a two-car crash near East Budleigh.
Firefighters freed one person trapped in a car, made the area safe and soaked up spilled fuel.
A Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service (DSFRS) spokesperson said: “Once on scene, crews confirmed a two vehicle road traffic collision had occurred causing two people trapped to be trapped and fire crews were liaising with ambulance crews who were already on scene.”
They added: “Ambulance were triaging four casualties at the scene, two who were trapped and two who were free and clear. One vehicle involved was a hybrid so crews were also at work isolating the vehicle to ensure the scene was safe.”
The DSFRS spokesperson said:” Two people were free and clear prior to arrival of fire service, one person was able to self-extricate following assessment by ambulance and one person was released by fire crews.
“Crews made the scene safe by isolating the vehicles and placed environmental absorbent pads down to soak up leaking engine fluids.”
Witnesses or anyone with dashcam footage can contact police through the force website, or call 101, quoting log number 576 of 27 July.
