By Gary Cooper

A MOTORIST was seriously hurt yesterday afternoon after his car left the A932 Friockheim-Forfar road, demolished an electricity pole and then landed on its roof.

The motorist was trapped upside down by his legs and body in the wreckage of the blue MG ZT, which came to rest on the verge at a notorious set of bends at Murton, about three miles from Forfar.

As the seriousness of the 1.30 accident became apparent, it prompted a full-scale turnout of emergency services.

A fire service rescue unit and water tender from Forfar were sent to the scene, paramedics were joined by a specialist trauma team from Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, and police units from across the county headed to the crash.

Ambulance personnel found the 40-year-old driver, thought to be from Dundee, unconscious and fought to stabilise him.

The firefighters’ first priority was to prevent the car from sliding, as it perched at the top of an embankment, by using a ratchet, slings and stabilising blocks.

As the medical teams treated the man, firefighters used cutting gear to create space to work in inside the car before snipping away at metal to finally free him.

They assisted paramedics in moving the man to an ambulance using a spinal board.

Suffering a serious head injury, he was taken to Ninewells by ambulance under police escort.

Tayside Fire and Rescue watch manager Alan Shepherd said the operation to treat and free the man was tricky, but he praised the teamwork of all the services involved.

Mr Shepherd said, “Owing to the position of the car and the cramped confines, the crews were faced with an extremely difficult situation.”

The car had been travelling towards Forfar with the driver the sole occupant and was exiting the second bend at Murton when it left the wet road, mounted the kerb and slewed across the verge before the driver’s side struck the pole.

Police closed the road for some hours and set up diversions as they carried out a crash investigation.

Electricity workers checked the power supply.

Police have appealed for witnesses to contact them in Forfar on 01307 302200.