With the weather causing mayhem for many across the region, police officers and other emergency services have been faced with various challenges; ensuring the safety of the community is paramount and the protecting the vulnerable.
On Tuesday evening PC Neil Fraser and PC Tony Harrison, who both are Instant Response officers (IRT) based at Beverley Police Station were coming back from Pocklington in the late evening, they decided to check the nearby roads for any vehicles having problems in the adverse weather.
As they travelled along the Givendale Road towards the A166 it became clear that even in a police 4×4 vehicle, they could not get over the top of the road due to the volume of snow.
In the distance they saw what they believed to be hazard warning lights activate on a vehicle.
They tried to get to the vehicle from the A166, but after taking the vehicle as far as they could before having to dig their own vehicle out of the snow, the two officers set off on foot to check on the vehicle they had seen.
The officers struggled through the snow, faced constant wind and sleeting snow as they made their way forward.
The snow at this point was waist deep for the officers to get through but they continued for at least half a mile to find three members of the public who required rescuing from their vehicle.
One of the passengers was a 19-year-old woman who was pregnant and was suffering from the cold having been there for some time.
The officers then managed to assist the three passengers from the car, off the hill and down towards Givendale where they managed to get another police 4 x 4 car to pick them all up before conveying to Pocklington Police Station.
An ambulance was called to check the occupants.
The ambulance crew felt sure the pregnant woman would have come to some harm had she not been rescued, due to an outstanding illness which is exasperated by cold temperatures.
The stranded Landrover Discovery was cleared from the carriageway.
Following an inspection of the stranded car; the Landrover Discovery, it was discovered although the engine had been on to keep the occupants warm, due to the snow, fumes from the exhaust had been blowing back into the vehicle.
The two officers PC Fraser and PC Tony Harrison said; “We were just doing our job and we were just pleased we came across the car when we did.”
As the bad weather continues across the region Humberside Police are still advising motorists to take extra care and drive according to the weather conditions.
The weather has left a number of roads across our region difficult to drive on and in some places poor visibility.
Rural roads have been particularly affected and people are urged to travel only if it is essential.
The message being sent out today is that if you don’t have to travel then don’t and please take care even if you are walking to your destination.
Motorists can reduce the chances of a collision while driving in such conditions by simply allowing extra time for your journey, giving vehicles in front of you more space, allowing extra time to slow your vehicle prior to junctions and sharp bends or avoiding roads which may not have been treated will reduce the chances of you falling foul of the icy conditions.
Superintendent Mike Duggleby said: “Despite the heavy snowfall we have not experienced a high volume of incidents on our roads however we are urging anyone travelling around the region to be cautious allowing extra time for their journey, extra space to slow your vehicle down at junctions and leave a greater distance between yourself and the vehicle you are following in order to ensure you are not caught out by the icy conditions.
“We were prepared for the adverse weather and as a result I have hired several additional 4 x 4 vehicles for officers to use in the East Riding. This has significantly assisted us in responding to the weather related calls for service and allowed officers to patrol the area safely and severe conditions.
“We are working closely with the East Riding of Yorkshire Council to ensure we are talking to one another in terms of road closures, grit and salt levels and any issues the snow and ice is causing. The system is working well and I just hope people take the necessarily precautions to ensure they are safe and well prepared for the conditions.
“The predictions are that these current weather conditions could be with us across the region for the next few days. Some parts of the region have been experiencing both rain and snow which can make driving conditions very dangerous. Please be careful and take extra care on your journey.”
