A three-vehicle collision in Mount Pearl on Wednesday evening resulted in serious injuries, with those injured having to wait over one hour for an ambulance to arrive.

Emergency crews were called to a portion of Topsail Road near Corisande Drive at 6:40 p.m. after an officer with the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC) came upon the crash shortly after it occurred. The driver of a westbound SUV crossed into oncoming traffic, colliding head-on with a second SUV. The crash caused significant damage to both vehicles. The driver of a Jeep, also traveling east, was unable to avoid the collision, with that vehicle coming to rest on its side.

An ambulance from out of town, reportedly Whitbourne, had to be summoned to attend the scene, as there were no ambulances available in the metro region. At about 7:50 p.m. an ambulance arrived at the scene, over one hour from when the collision happened. A second ambulance arrived minutes later.

The driver of the Jeep, who was its only occupant, was uninjured. Three people, occupants of the other two vehicles, all sustained injuries. A passenger in one of the vehicles is reported to have suffered serious, but non life-threatening injuries. Firefighters with the St. John’s Regional Fire Department tended to the injured individuals until an ambulance could arrive. All three injured people were eventually taken to hospital.

The RNC closed Topsail Road between Corisande Drive and Thomas Byrne Drive for some time as they investigated the collision. Initial reports from the scene indicate one of the drivers may have suffered a medical emergency, contributing to the collision.