A GIRL was airlifted to hospital after suffering head and neck injuries in an accident at the A325 Picketts Hill junction on Wednesday morning. The driver, aged 17 from Hindhead, was cut free from her car and taken to the Royal Surrey Hospital, in Guildford, by air ambulance. Her injuries were not thought to be life threatening. A Hampshire Ambulance Service rapid-response vehicle and an air ambulance were called to the scene at approximately 8.30am, where a green Peugeot 106 and a silver Ford Transit van had collided at the junction of Picketts Hill lane with the A325. The Peugot had been in Picketts Hill and the van on the A325, and both vehicles were travelling towards Bordon. The driver of the Transit van, a 46-year-old man from Aldershot, was shaken but uninjured. One onlooker told the Herald: "It took a long time to get the girl out of the car. It seemed to me that she was very badly injured. "The firefighters were in the back of the car, trying to get her out. "This is a very busy piece of road, and can be very dangerous. "A few years ago, we were involved in the campaign to get the traffic lights put up at the junction and the council responded to that, but accidents still happen." The air ambulance landed in the field known as Picketts Place, along Picketts Hill. Some fencing panels had to be taken down to stretcher the injured woman to the helicopter. Police subsequently replaced the fence and secured the area. The onlooker added: "The emergency response was marvellous. "The ambulance, police and the fire service were here within minutes. "The way it was all co-ordinated and organised was just incredible - they landed the helicopter, managed the rush-hour traffic and dealt with the accident brilliantly. You couldn't fault them." Another witness, travelling to work in Farnham, said: "I saw three fire engines and medics bending over a car, obviously tending to the young lady who was inside. "The three fire engines were spread across the road and there were long tailbacks in both directions, and lots of police on duty. "Once you got past, everybody was driving very carefully for the next mile or two. I had originally thought the hold up was due to the Wednesday boot fair at the Country Market, but it soon became clear that it was not." Emergency services took an hour and a half to clear the scene of the accident. The damaged Peugeot was moved onto a grass verge and was later towed from the scene. Many motorists were caught in heavy traffic following the accident, with tailbacks in both directions along the A325. One driver said: "It took half an hour just to get through and round the Sleaford traffic lights. "I saw one car being loaded onto a tow truck, so it was obviously almost clear by the time I passed." Police are appealing for witnesses following the accident. Anyone who witnessed the collision is asked to contact Acting Sergeant Stuart Jones, at the Whitehill roads policing unit, on 0845 0454545.
