Friday, January 27, 2012 An ambulance transporting a critically ill patient has been involved in a road accident in Essex.

An East of England Ambulance Service spokesman confirmed that the accident happened in Main Road, Danbury, at 10.25am on Friday.

Firefighters were called and a spokesman confirmed a man had been cut free from the vehicle.

Ambulance service spokesman Gary Sanderson said that the accident happened when a patient was being transported from Great Tothan in Maldon to Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford.

At the time, the ambulance was using its blue lights.

The ambulance collided with a van and overturned into a ditch. The patient, a man, was taken in another ambulance to Broomfield Hospital.

The three ambulance clinicians on board at the time were assessed on scene for minor injuries and were also taken to the hospital.

Mr Sanderson said: "An immediate investigation has been launched by our Trust to find out the cause of the collision this morning and we are working closely with Essex Police."

Paramedics were called to the patient's home after reports that he was unconscious.

A second ambulance arrived at the scene "within minutes" of the accident and the man, in his 70s, remained in a stable condition.