Injured footballer left waiting as ambulance crashes

Ger Flangan

A MAYO soccer player was left lying injured on the pitch for over an hour and a half as he waited for emergency services to arrive after the first ambulance called crashed on its way to the scene.
The player, in his mid-twenties, who was lining out for Ballyglass B in Michael Keaveney Park last Saturday – sustained a serious neck injury after a collision with his own teammate, with 15 minutes remaining in his side’s 3-2 victory against Ballina Town B last Saturday evening.
The Mayo News understands that after initially being able to stumble off the playing pitch onto the sideline of his own accord, a decision was made soon after to call an ambulance when the player got into some difficulty moving.
After the first ambulance was called, the parties concerned were soon informed that the ambulance had been involved in an accident outside the village of Belcarra and that a second ambulance was being sent to the scene, which arrived over an hour and a half later.
The injured player was brought to Mayo University Hospital where he had to wait until yesterday (Monday) to undergo a scan. The results of the scan are, as of yet, unknown.