Overview
- The single-vehicle crash near Rainton Gate, reported Tuesday around 2:30pm, led police to close the A690 in both directions between Junction 61 of the A1(M) and Houghton-le-Spring.
- The driver was treated at the scene and taken by road to Sunderland Royal Hospital, where he remains in a serious condition.
- North East Ambulance Service said it was called at 2:27pm and sent two ambulance crews and a specialist paramedic.
- The Great North Air Ambulance critical care team was activated at 2:39pm, arrived at 2:51pm with a doctor and a paramedic, and worked with NEAS to treat the patient.
- Both carriageways reopened just before 7pm after about four and a half hours of closure, though delays and congestion lingered nearby.