CRASH HORROR: Car crashes leave Rustington and Littlehampton youngsters in critical condition

A Littlehampton man in his mid-20s was so severely injured in Ferry Road on Tuesday (June 15) that he needed emergency surgery at the side of the road, and was airlifted to Southampton General Hospital by the Solent Coastguard helicopter.

A 19-year-old Rustington woman remained in intensive care at Royal Sussex Hospital, Brighton, with injuries to her leg and pelvis, yesterday (Wednesday), after being involved in a four-car pile up in Brighton on Monday. Her condition was initially critical, though it is now described as "stable".

She was one of five teenagers in a silver Renault Clio which collided with a Vauxhall Astra on the A23 at Patcham, just after midnight, before crashing into two parked vehicles.

Two men and a woman, all thought to be in their 20s, were in a metallic-blue hatchback car when it crashed into a tree in Ferry Road at about 6.45pm on Tuesday. It is believed that they all worked at Littlehampton Marina.

The road was closed for more than two hours, as one of the men was cut free from the wreckage of the car by Littlehampton and East Preston fire crews. He was then given a general anaesthetic and chest surgery was carried out by a volunteer doctor, Dr John Chatterjee, from the SIMCAS (South Coast Immediate Care Scheme).

Dr Chatterjee said: "The patient was very seriously injured and after the chest surgery it was crucial he got to a specialist trauma hospital as soon as possible.

"I was very pleased that the coastguard were able to get us quickly to Southampton."

He added that the man was still in a critical condition.

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