Five children and two drivers have been rushed to hospital after two vehicles collided on the A4 Bath Road this afternoon.

The white van and blue Land Rover discovery hit each other opposite the Hare Hatch Wyvale garden centre at around 2.35pm today.

Five children and the Land Rover driver, a man, were from a family travelling in the 4x4 were taken by land ambulance to the Royal Berkshire Hospital.

Fire crews had to cut free the driver of the van, a man in his 40s, which was described by eyewitnesses as "completely caved in".

He was airlifted to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford with leg injuries that were described as serious by not life threatening.

A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said two cyclists may hold clues into what happened.


She said: “Two cyclists are believed to have been cycling nearby in the direction of Reading and did not stop. I would like to speak to these cyclists as they may have witnessed the collision and could have helpful information which could assist with our enquiries.”
 

Witnesses described hearing the crash and seeing the front of the van caved in moments later.

One person, who did not want to be named, said: "There was an air ambulance that came down and they had to close down the road.

"We could hear the helicopter and they had to close the Wyvale car park to let it land."

The road remains closed going towards Maidenhead but police are slowly directing Reading-bound traffic past the scene of the crash.

Ellie Gray, Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesman, said: "It was near the garden centre in Bath Road, we were called at 14.39 to a road traffic collision involving two vehicles, we were called by Thames Valley Police.

"We sent pumps from Wokingham, Wokingham Road and Maidenhead and our heavy rescue unit.

"The stop message came in at 15.45, it says a male was rescued from one of the vehicles and was taken to hospital by an air ambulance.

"The crews rescued him using cutting equipment."

Michelle Archer from South Central Ambulance Service said: "We were called at 14.36 to Bath Road to an RTC involving two vehicles. The Thames Valley Air Ambulance and three crews at the scene."

The vehicles have been removed and the road has been now been reopened.