DRAMATIC pictures of the smash which left theA38 closed for up to six hours have today, Monday, been released by Buckfastleigh Fire Station.

The road was closed in both directions yesterday after National Highways South West reported ‘A single-vehicle collision at 3.55pm resulted in an electricity pole being damaged and coming to rest across the carriageway.’

On their Facebook page Buckfastleigh Firefighters report: ‘Yesterday saw us use some of the new equipment on our new appliance.

‘We attended along with colleagues from Ashburton Fire Station and Totnes Fire Station two road traffic collisions in heavy rain conditions, the first was a vehicle that had left the carriageway and hit a pole which carried electrical cables over the A38 and ending up on its side back on the carriageway.

‘We used our new V-Strut stabilisers to prevent the car from rolling while the two occupants were assisted from the vehicle and into an awaiting ambulance.

‘Injuries appear to be slight and they were taken to hospital for precautionary checks.

‘We then used our new hand carried winch to drag the vehicle back on to its four wheels ready for removal.’

The Buckfastleigh Firefighters then report on a second crash that they helped out at.

‘The second road traffic collision was also a single vehicle that had hit the central reservation and came to rest on the first lane of the carriageway.

‘We needed to take the back roads to get to this incident as the A38 was closed at Dean Prior due to the earlier incident, on route we encountered roads totally submerged under water with vehicles stranded.

‘We slowly navigated these obstacles before eventually joining our Ivybridge Fire Station colleagues who had made the scene and the vehicle safe whilst waiting for the police and highways agency to arrive to open the carriageway, all occupants of this vehicle were safe and uninjured.’

At the end of the post the firefighters warn: ‘With more rain expected in the next 24 hours stay safe out there.’

A Yellow Warning of heavy rain is in force until 11am tomorrow, Tuesday.