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Newgale crash: Three in hospital after car crashes into campsite

Three people remain in hospital after a Ford Fiesta crashed into the Pembrokeshire campsite, hitting a tent where a baby was sleeping

Laura Sharman
Monday 14 August 2023 12:07 BST
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A car crashed into the campsite in Pembrokeshire, Wales, on Saturday
A car crashed into the campsite in Pembrokeshire, Wales, on Saturday (BBC)

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Three people remain in hospital after a car crashed into a campsite and hit a tent where a baby was sleeping.

Nine people were injured in the crash which took place at Newgale Campsite in Pembrokeshire, Wales, on Saturday.

The baby escaped serious injury as it was in a cot, according to the campsite owner.

Dyfed-Powys Police said the incident happened shortly after 10.30pm and passengers in the car were among those injured.

A blue Ford Fiesta left the road at Newgale and went over a ditch before rolling into a tent and over a group of people.

The campsite is set alongside a road and was filled with tents at the time of the crash.

Clare Harris, who runs the campsite with her husband Mike, said: “The car was speeding down the hill, realised it needed to slow down and tried to brake.

“It flipped and rolled several times, and crashed into the tent.

“There was a young child, a baby, in the tent at the time, thankfully they are okay.

Campsite owner Mike Harris described the aftermath following the car crash
Campsite owner Mike Harris described the aftermath following the car crash (BBC)

“It’s a tragic accident that the police are dealing with, that’s all we can say at the moment.”

Mike said it was “a miracle” that the baby survived the crash.

The owner told the BBC how the car had to be lifted to free those injured beneath it and that the incident could have been “a lot worse”.

He said he was “very impressed” with how quickly emergency services responded, sending around 15 vehicles to the scene.

Firefighters and two surgeons were also staying at the campsite and were able to “take charge and make the best of the situation”, he added.

One person was airlifted to the University Hospital of Wales and a further four were taken by road, said the Welsh Ambulance Service which was assisted by HM Coastguard.

The Ford Fiesta left the road at Newgale and went over a ditch before rolling into a tent and over a group of people
The Ford Fiesta left the road at Newgale and went over a ditch before rolling into a tent and over a group of people (BBC)

The service sent six emergency ambulances, one duty operations manager, a high acuity response unit, and a search and rescue helicopter.

The car is believed to have been travelling from the village of Roch towards St Davids when it crashed off the A487.

Dyfed Powys Police said the road was closed to allow investigations and reopened at around 7.45am on Sunday.

A spokesperson added: ““Dyfed-Powys Police is continuing to investigate the incident which occurred in Newgale on Saturday evening, August 12, 2023.

“Three people currently remain in hospital. No arrests have been made at this time.”

The force said there has been a “considerable amount of interest” in the incident and asked the public to regrain from speculation.

“The investigation team continues to engage with witnesses to establish the full circumstances of what happened,’ it added.

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