A19 near Jarrow closed overnight as numerous ambulances called to scene of 'serious' crash

The southbound carriageway was closed between A185 (Tyne Tunnel) and the A194 (South Shields) as emergency services rushed to the scene following a ‘serious collision’ in the early hours of Sunday, April 17.

Eight ambulance resources were dispatched to the scene and supported was request to to Great North Air Ambulance Service.

Northumbria Police officers remained at the scene overnight and an investigation into the collision, which occurred at around 12.15am, is believed to have been carried out.

It has not yet been confirmed how many vehicles were involved in the collision.

A spokeswoman for the North East Ambulance Service said: "We were called at 12.15am this morning to reports of a road traffic collision on the A19 southbound in the Jarrow area.

"We dispatched eight resources in total including two ambulance crews, three crews from our Hazardous Area Response Team, a specialist paramedic and an officer.

"We also requested support from the Great North Air Ambulance Service."

Debris from the road has also been cleared and Highways England confirmed at 8.40am (Sunday) that the carriageway has reopened.

Traffic is coping well on Sunday morning (April 18).

A spokesman for Northumbria Police posted on Twitter at around 6am: “We are dealing with an incident on the A19 and have closed the southbound carriageway between the A185 and A194.”

The Gazette has also contacted Northumbria Police for further details.

Support your Gazette and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news, the latest football stories and new puzzles every day. With a digital subscription, you can see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe.