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A serious collision on the A697 near Whittingham has left a man in his 50s fighting for his life. The incident, which occurred just after 5pm on Thursday, involved a red Honda quad bike and a white Volkswagen car.

Emergency services rushed to the scene following reports of the collision. The rider of the quad bike sustained severe injuries and was transported to the hospital, where he remains in critical condition. His family has been informed of the situation.

The driver of the Volkswagen, a woman in her 30s, has been arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and is currently in police custody.

Police Appeal for Information

Northumbria Police’s Roads Policing team is investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash and is urging anyone with information to come forward.

Officers are particularly interested in hearing from motorists who were in the area at the time and may have witnessed the incident. They are also appealing for any dashcam or CCTV footage that could provide crucial details about the moments leading up to the collision.

How to Help

If you were driving on the A697 near Whittingham on Thursday evening or have footage that could assist the investigation, please contact Northumbria Police.

You can reach the force by sending a private message on their social media channels or through the live chat function on the Northumbria Police website. Alternatively, you can call 101 and quote reference number NP-20241114-0757.

Police are committed to piecing together the events of this tragic incident to ensure a full and thorough investigation.

Roma G.
1 day ago
Driving lessons from Simon were enjoyable and his approach sets you up well to feel confident and safe. We went at a pace I could manage on top of a busy work schedule. We ramped up lessons when it came to crunch time which helped me pass first time. He was very sick on my test day, poor thing, but still came to make sure I could do my test. Will miss working with him!
Garry D.
10 months ago
recommends
Highly recommend Shift Driving School. They were an absolute pleasure to deal with from start to finish. Special shout out to my instructor Hassan, who taught me from scratch in just under 6 months. I had no previous driving experience at all and he talked through the steps and skills needed clearly, always supportively pushing me to be my best. Delighted to have passed at first attempt! Couldn’t have done it without the team at Swift and Hassan. Thank you!
Rachel F.
6 days ago
Can't recommend Shift enough! I was nervous about learning to drive but Majid was very patient and really helped boost my confidence.
Denise W.
2 years ago
recommends
I 10000000% recommend this driving school my instructor has been appsalutly amazing he had so much patience and really helped me through all my lessons then he recommend me a nervous course which really helped me as I really struggled with my nerve on my test but I finally done it and passed my test and I wouldn't have been able to do it if it wasn't for lewis so thank u sooooo much :)
Annabel L.
2 weeks ago
Just passed my test with Sammy, would highly recommend her. She is very patient and made my lessons stress free and was very flexible with scheduling lessons.
Webdeco.
2 years ago
recommends
What a great company to not only learn to drive with, but to actually work with too. We would highly recommend Shift without a doubt.
Sophie B.
1 month ago
Cannot recommend this driving school and Simon enough. Simon is extremely patient and kind, very adaptive in his teaching style to help suit the student. I never thought I would be able to drive as a nervous driver, let alone pass my test but he has helped me feel confident and capable. He goes above and beyond the job and really cares about his students. The app is also really helpful and detailed to keep you organised and get you test ready. I am genuinely going to miss my lessons as I passed today! Thank you so much Simon and the shift team!
Arizah A.
1 month ago
I recently passed my driving test and my instructor Simon, was thorough, and tailored the lessons to improve where I lack.
The mock test is a must as it gave me an indicator if I should proceed or postpone my test.
Overall, reliable, thorough and reasonable driving school.
Leo J.
1 month ago
Passed my test because of Lewis. Amazing.
Tim P.
1 month ago
I had driving lessons with Lisa and passed my driving exam with only one minor. She is very patient and knowledgeable about driving safety and the surrounding area. I would highly recommend Lisa to anyone considering taking driving lessons. Thank you Lisa for all of your help!