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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.

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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. Delighted to have passed at first attempt! Couldn’t have done it without the team at Shift and Hassan. Thank you!