Four foreign travellers were taken by the Coast Guard helicopter to the emergency room at the hospital in Akureyri after a serious car accident in North Iceland. An SUV which the travellers were driving rolled over twice after the driver apparently lost control of the vehicle. The accident took place on the Ring Road south of the town Blönduós.
Off-duty police officer witnessed the accident
An off-duty police officer who was driving behind the travellers witnessed the accident and was able to take charge at the scene while first responders were on their way. An American doctor and nurse who arrived at the scene shortly after the accident were also able to help attend to the victims.
Höskuldur Birkir Erlingsson, a Police Sergeant in the nearby town of Blönduós, was driving behind a half a dozen SUVs which were travelling together, when he noticed that one of the cars, towards the middle of the group, suddenly swerved to the right: Höskuldur described the accident to the local news site Vísir:
I saw one of the cars, a mini SUV which was driving in the middle of the group, suddenly swerve to the right, driving right off the road at high speed. The car continues into a small depression next to the road, out of which it sort of just takes off into the air, then continues across the road leading to a nearby farm, and continues until it rolls over twice and ends on its top some distance from the road.
Höskuldur told Vísir that he thought the accident might have been caused by the driver dozing off at the wheel. Höskuldur shot a video of the scene as the Coast Guard helicopter was taking the driver and three passengers in the car to the emergency room.
Took charge at the scene
Höskuldur immediately took charge at the scene, calming the other travellers, calling first responders and trying to attend to the victims. Only one of the 30 or so foreign travellers in the group spoke English. He tried to ensure the driver didn't move before the first responders arrived. The driver had suffered a head injury.
Höskuldur was assisted by two American travellers who arrived at the scene shortly thereafter, a doctor and a nurse who helped attend to the injuries of the travellers while they waited from paramedics from Blönduós. The Coast Guard helicopter then arrived and flew the travellers to the emergency room in Akureyri. The hospital has not made any comment on the condition of the travellers.
Four foreign travellers were taken by the Coast Guard helicopter to the emergency room at the hospital in Akureyri after a serious car accident in North Iceland. An SUV which the travellers were driving rolled over twice after the driver apparently lost control of the vehicle. The accident took place on the Ring Road south of the town Blönduós.
Off-duty police officer witnessed the accident
An off-duty police officer who was driving behind the travellers witnessed the accident and was able to take charge at the scene while first responders were on their way. An American doctor and nurse who arrived at the scene shortly after the accident were also able to help attend to the victims.
Höskuldur Birkir Erlingsson, a Police Sergeant in the nearby town of Blönduós, was driving behind a half a dozen SUVs which were travelling together, when he noticed that one of the cars, towards the middle of the group, suddenly swerved to the right: Höskuldur described the accident to the local news site Vísir:
I saw one of the cars, a mini SUV which was driving in the middle of the group, suddenly swerve to the right, driving right off the road at high speed. The car continues into a small depression next to the road, out of which it sort of just takes off into the air, then continues across the road leading to a nearby farm, and continues until it rolls over twice and ends on its top some distance from the road.
Höskuldur told Vísir that he thought the accident might have been caused by the driver dozing off at the wheel. Höskuldur shot a video of the scene as the Coast Guard helicopter was taking the driver and three passengers in the car to the emergency room.
Took charge at the scene
Höskuldur immediately took charge at the scene, calming the other travellers, calling first responders and trying to attend to the victims. Only one of the 30 or so foreign travellers in the group spoke English. He tried to ensure the driver didn't move before the first responders arrived. The driver had suffered a head injury.
Höskuldur was assisted by two American travellers who arrived at the scene shortly thereafter, a doctor and a nurse who helped attend to the injuries of the travellers while they waited from paramedics from Blönduós. The Coast Guard helicopter then arrived and flew the travellers to the emergency room in Akureyri. The hospital has not made any comment on the condition of the travellers.
