Anyone know why the air ambulance was flying over FH at 4:30 this afternoon?

The helicopter (air ambulance) landed in the small park on Westbourne Drive. Looks as if there was an accident on the Devonshire road / South Circular junction.
As I write the air ambulance is still there.

185 buses are currently being diverted via Honor Oak Road, presumably as a result of the above.

South Circular closed around area of railway bridge
Apparently someone hit by a car

Got told by a local dog walker, that he sa the guy in the road, as he was beong operated on there and then. No vehicles around to suggest an accident involving one, so speculation that he jumped from the railway bridge

Jo

Pedestrian struck by white Peugeot car which was travelling from the co-op under the bridge towards the station. Pedestrian appears to have walked off raised pavement into the path of the car.
Air ambulance landed, very skilfully I might add in the park on westbourne.

Patient treated at roadside and taken to westbourne where they were loaded into the air ambulance . I assume because of the severity of the injuries is why the road was closed for traffic and forensics to attend. Footpaths and road remained sterile for a long time.

I was amused and annoyed by the arrogance and ignorance of people waiting to pass on foot.

Jumping from the bridge is possible, but the driver of the car was breathalised at the scene, which would suggest some involvement.
Also not sure about the operating on at the roadside, maybe a small procedure, patient was treated inside the ambulance, removed from it for a short while, then replaced in ambulance and taken to helicopter, which lifted off at approx 17.10


Air ambulance landing at Westbourne


White car involved just in right corner of picture.
Note that is NOT a patient being treated on the road, it's the air ambulance tech sorting his bag out.

According to police on the scene, a pedestrian was hit by a car as he tried to cross the road.

As the pedestrian was the worse for alcohol, he was flown by air ambulance to Royal London Hospital. His injuries were not thought to be life threatening, but given his condition it was difficult to assess him.

Thanks for the info
I would have thought at some point there was a belief of life threatening injuries, it would explain the total road closure etc

Thank you for clarifying.

I wandered why the helicopter was circling in the area before landing. I guess Westbourne Drive has the largest, clearest space for it to land and still be close enough.

It was like a circus out there, as soon as the paremedics took the victim out of the ambulance, passers by ere just snapping pictures. Such a sad life some lead, to get a joy out of it. Though must admit, a lot of them were teenagers.

So the gist of the thread is that someone the worse for drink, was hit by a car, didn't have life threatening injuries, air ambulance took them away, and this happened at about 16:30. I don't live in Forest Hill any more but was still caught up in the widespread congestion, past 19:00. The driver of a 122 bus in Honor Oak Road told me there was serious accident in Forest Hill hence the chaos.

Doesn't seem to have been managed very well by the police

What part do you feel was badly managed may I ask?

I was travelling from Wimbledon to Orpington roughly 18 miles, a journey which normally takes about 50 minutes to an hour, took 2 hours 50 minutes as the South Circular was closed.

I hadn't intended going via Forest Hill, but was sent towards it by the Sat Nav from Crystal Palace/Sydenham as the sheer volume of traffic wasn't moving there or moving slower than around Forest Hill. No traffic announcements on local radio.

Was it necessary to close the road completely? A few weeks ago lanes were closed on the corner for roadworks, but a contra flow was in place, so traffic flowed albeit slower. Was it necessary to close it for so long?

May be the two PCSO's seen resting on the wheelie bins in one of your pictures could have directed traffic around the incident?

Shut the road and the traffic has to go somewhere, Honor Oak Road, Devonshire road, and so on, they are not up to it.

I just thought I would say that I think it's pretty awful that someone actually took pictures of what happened yesterday and then posted them on here for all to see!
Fair enough, take a picture of the ambulance as yeah it looks quite impressive etc but to take a picture of the actual person lying on the ground being attended to - thats a little bit off!
If Snazy is a reporter or whatever ok, maybe thats understandable, but the fact that its been posted on here for all to see I think is pretty disgusting.
At the end of the day that is someone's loved one lying on the floor, we don't know for sure how severe the injuries were, and also the driver - whoever they were - is also most probably traumatised...
I'm sorry, but I was just scrolling through the forum posts and came across the pictures and I dont think it's right.

Read the post again. It was not a person.

ok, my bad. apologies, i shall remove the post

Gone2kent, I appreciate what you are saying, and indeed it was chaos. I don't know that the pcso's could have done much more. The cordon set up was enforced by police officers, and from old stansted rd up to london road. Given the apparent severity of incident, it was indeed necessary to enforce a complete closure to keep the accident scene as it was at the time of the accident to allow an effective investigation. As irritating it must have been, I don't think too much more could be done.
One thing is would criticise was the knowledge of the pcso, in being unable to direct pedestrians up Devonshire to pass the scene, rather than through the subway. Other than that it was very sad and unfortunate. Shame on the pedestrians moaning and complaining when it was clear what was happening.

Blak Rose, as has been pointed out, and as i said under the image is it NOT the person being treated. The air ambulance tech came out of the ambulance I assume to prep for whatever they planned on doing to the patient when removed from the ambulance. He is kneeling with his large back pack unfolded getting lots of equipment out, before he went back inside the ambulance.
I appreciate your concerns and sentiment, but rest assured while I like to take pictures of many things, and share them, I have a little taste and some morals too
Sorry for any shock the pic caused you, glad you know it's not a person now.

All in all this was a major incident, and a very sad one. In a very unfortunate place and time of day. There was a very large attendance of Met officers and paramedics, and given the situation it was dealt with very well.
The fact there was an event on at the crystal halls with badly parked cars, road works making Perry vale one way (which people were ignoring) made matters worse.
Setting up a temp diversion would have been very difficult.

I wish the victim well, and hope this is the end of incidents on this stretch of road for a long time.