AN elderly man who was rushed to hospital in a critical condition after a crash in Halesowen is believed to have suffered a "medical episode" at the wheel.

Emergency services were called to Stourbridge Road, near its junction with Lutley Mill Road, just after 9.45am on Thursday (December 14).

A spokesman for West Midlands Police, who were called to the scene after a car left the road and hit a postbox, said: "The driver suffered a suspected medical episode at the wheel and has been taken to hospital."

West Midlands Fire Service, which were contacted by the police, sent two crews to the scene – from Haden Cross and Stourbridge stations – while West Midlands Ambulance Service dispatched two ambulances, a paramedic officer and an air ambulance from Cosford.

A spokesman for the fire service said: “One man was removed from his vehicle and he was given first aid by fire service personnel before being passed on to the ambulance service.”

An ambulance service spokesman said: “On arrival, ambulance crews found a man who was in cardiac arrest.

“He had been rapidly extricated by firefighters after the car had collided with a bush, a post box and a wall.

“After resuscitation at the scene, the man’s heart was restarted.  He was anaesthetised before being taken on blue lights by land ambulance to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham with the Care team doctor travelling with the crew.

“The man was in a critical condition, but the rapid action of emergency services have given him the bets possible chance of survival."

Stourbridge Road resident Trevor Cartwright, who said he did not witness the crash, said the aftermath of the incident “looked like a bomb had gone off”.

He added: “It is such a big crash. I’ve never seen so many police cars, ambulances and fire engines in all my life.

“Near where I live the concreate and railings have gone and the Royal Mail post box is in pieces.

“The air ambulance arrived at about 10.20am on the field opposite the Lutley Oak pub.

“I didn’t see the crash, but I did see an elderly gentleman being taken out of the car and put into an ambulance.”

No other casualties have yet been reported.