THE last Friday of the school holidays proved to be a taxing one for motorists attempting to enter and exit the Tomaree and Lemon Tree Passage Peninsulas.

Yet another serious car accident occurred at Salt Ash near the intersection of Nelson Bay Road and Janet Parade.

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This is a part of the road that is currently being duplicated, however on Friday afternoon traffic was banked back past the Cabbage Tree Road intersection on Nelson Bay and back as far as Campvale for the traffic coming from Medowie.

Around 2:30pm last Friday afternoon, NSW SES – Port Stephens Unit responded to the serious motor vehicle.

The SES deployed the Medium Rescue Vehicle (PTS46) and their Heavy Rescue Vehicle (PTS48) to attend the incident, with five accredited Rescue Operators.

Upon arrival, crews found a seriously injured person in one vehicle, and an entrapped driver in a second vehicle.

Alysha Springett, Deputy Unit Commander, Training Coordinator and Media Officer for the Port Stephens SES Unit told News Of The Area, “Working with NSW Ambulance Paramedics, our Rescue Operators used hydraulic rescue tools from both vehicles, and removed the side of the vehicle.

“NSW SES and NSW Rural Fire Service crews then assisted Paramedics to carefully extricate the casualty from the vehicle, whilst maintaining spinal alignment.

“Both patients were then transferred to hospital for further treatment, one via the Westpac Rescue Helicopter and the other via road Ambulance.

“We are wishing the patients a full recovery,” she said.

While the road was cleared, traffic remained heavy until well after 5pm.

The NSW SES is an organisation mostly comprised of volunteers and the Port Stephens unit is one its highly awarded units for their work in vehicle rescues.

By Marian SAMPSON