Woman critical, three injured after theme park ride crash

A woman is fighting for her life and three others have been injured after a fairground ride crashed at a North Yorkshire theme park.

The victim, believed to be in her twenties, has suffered severe head and spinal injuries.

She was on the Treetop Twister ride at Lightwater Valley theme park in Ripon, England.

The victim has been airlifted to Leeds General Infirmary.

Nigel Metcalfe, a spokesman for Tees East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service, said: "When ambulances arrived a young lady in her twenties was treated. She was unconscious and had severe head and spinal injuries.

"We called for assistance from the Yorkshire air ambulance and when the helicopter arrived the patient was dispatched to the hospital in Leeds."

Three ambulances at the site have taken the other victims, all men in their twenties, to hospital in Harrogate.

Two are suffering from stomach injuries believed to have been caused by being thrown against metal bars on the ride.

The other man is suffering from whiplash.

Mr Metcalfe said the ride has a number of cars on a track that go up and down and travel at speed.

He said: "It appears the lady, so badly hurt, may have been in a car that had been hit by another car in front then slipped back into oncoming cars."

The Treetop Twister is a new ride at the park which opened this summer.