A teenager is fighting for his life after being crushed by a concrete pipe at a newbuild estate.
The 17-year-old suffered head and neck injuries when the heavy item toppled onto him while he was working at a building site in County Durham.
Emergency services rushed to Bellway’s Sniperley Park DH1 homes development, where groundworks were being carried out by principal contractor Esh Group, just before 1pm on Thursday.
The teen was given first aid at the scene before being taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, where he remains in serious condition.
Durham Police and the Health and Safety Executive have launched an investigation into the incident.
A Bellway spokesperson said: ‘We are aware of an incident at our DH1 development involving a contractor working for the principal contractor.
‘The contractor is assisting the police and the Health and Safety Executive with their enquiries.
‘Our thoughts are with the contractor, his family, friends and colleagues at this time.’
An Esh Group spokesperson added: ‘Esh Group is presently assisting police, and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in relation to a serious incident that took place yesterday on the Sniperley Park site on which groundworks were being undertaken.
‘The incident resulted in a serious life-threatening injury to a subcontractor’s employee.
‘The entire company is deeply saddened by this event and communication and efforts to assist the Police and HSE have been ongoing from the outset yesterday and throughout today.
‘First and foremost, our thoughts are with the injured person, their family and friends, and we will continue to assist and provide support where appropriate.’
A North East Ambulance Service spokesperson said: ‘We received a call at 12.49pm on Thursday, April 16, to reports of a person injured at an address on Sniperley Farm Road in Durham.
‘We dispatched an ambulance crew, a specialist paramedic, two clinical team leaders, and a duty officer to the scene, and requested support from our colleagues at the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) who attended by road.
‘We transported one patient to the RVI for further treatment.’
A Great North Air Ambulance Service spokesperson said: ‘Our critical care team was activated at 12.59pm to reports of an industrial incident at Sniperley Park in Durham.
‘We had two paramedics and a doctor on a rapid response vehicle and they arrived on scene at 1.28pm.’
An HSE spokesperson said: ‘We are investigating this incident alongside our colleagues at Durham Police.’
The Daily Mail has approached Durham Police for comment.
