Accidents spark driving warning

Sudden downpours made driving conditions dangerous

Firefighters are warning motorists to be careful of changing weather conditions after receiving four call outs to road accidents in an hour.

Crews were dispatched to four crashes across south Wales as heavy downpours made dangerous driving conditions.

No-one was killed in any of the collisions but several were taken to hospital with injuries.

Fire chiefs warned drivers to take extra caution when faced with hazardous weather conditions.

Station Officer Tim Needs from the brigade said that having four call-outs in an hour was 'unusual'.

"It was obviously to do with the weather because we had some pretty torrential rain at that time," he said.

"And the thing is a lot of people don't drive to the weather.

People should remember to slow down and to extend their stopping distances when it is wet Station Officer Tim Needs

"Many forget that the road conditions have become wet and slippery and they continue driving as if the road is dry.

"People should remember to slow down and to extend their stopping distances when it is wet."

The accidents happened on Wednesday afternoon with the first call out in Heath in Cardiff.

Fire crews dealt with the one vehicle accident in which an elderly woman had to be extricated from the car.

Just 15 minutes later, a call was put out about an accident at Henllys, in Cwmbran.

Three vehicles were involved and firefighters extricated two casualties who were treated by paramedics at the scene before they were taken to hospital.

About half an hour later, a third call was received by control staff about an accident involving a car and an articulated lorry on the A48 Eastern Avenue road in Cardiff.

The next call came through from Ynyshir Road in Porth, Rhondda, where fire crews had to deal with a three vehicle crash.

Two casualties were helped from the vehicles with another two being extricated from the vehicles by firefighters using hydraulic cutting equipment.

All casualties were taken to hospital.

Station Officer Tim Needs added: "I would urge people to take extra care when driving due to the changeable weather conditions at the moment."

The downpours occurred just a week after flooding in the south Wales valleys saw two people trapped in car in Abercynon.