A WOMAN was trapped under the car she was travelling in after it swerved to avoid a group of cyclists.

She was airlifted from the scene, while two other occupants of the car went to hospital by road ambulances following the incident just before 7.30pm on Saturday on the A419 near Swindon.

Great Western Ambulance Service (GWAS) received a 999 call reporting the incident on the southbound carriageway at Calcutt, between Cricklade and Swindon.

A paramedic in a rapid-response vehicles (RRV) was first on scene, backed-up by considerable additional GWAS resources including three ambulance crews, the Wiltshire Air Ambulance, a BASICS doctor, two additional paramedics in RRVs and an incident officer.

The most serious patient was the woman who was thrown from the car and ended up trapped underneath it. While fire crews worked to free her, she was assessed and treated by the BASICS doctor and GWAS crews.

She was subsequently flown to Great Western Hospital by the Wiltshire Air Ambulance suffering multiple injuries, although these are not thought to be life-threatening.

Two other patients from the car also went to Great Western Hospital with various trauma injuries – again, these are not life-threatening.

Witnesses reported that another car on the A419 swerved to avoid a group of cyclists and clipped the second car, which then swerved off the road.

Vince Almond, GWAS officer on scene, said: “It was quite a difficult scene – the car ended up quite a distance from the carriageway, stopping against some trees. A lot of kit had to be carried to the patients, who then had to be brought back to waiting ambulances.

“While the most serious patient was trapped under the car, she was fully conscious and alert the whole time, and able to talk to crews.”

None of the cyclists or occupants of the other car were injured.