UPDATE: Elderly motorist in critical condition after collapsing at the wheel

A spokesman for the South Western Ambulance Service said the woman, who is in her 80s, suffered a cardiac arrest while driving in Jessop Avenue and collided with a lamppost at around 12.15pm on Sunday.

Two rapid response cars, two ambulances and the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance attended the scene.

The ambulance service spokesman said that the crews were successfully able to resuscitate the woman at the scene but she remained in a critical condition as she was taken to hospital.

He said: “She was successfully resuscitated at the scene and taken to Dorset County Hospital in a critical condition.”

Here is a video from the scene:

A resident along Jessopp Avenue said they saw the police had blocked off the bottom of the road and the air ambulance dropped into a field alongside the road.

One man said he saw three police cars at the scene and a crash investigation vehicle there as well. He said the police had closed the road down by the end at the junction with Sea Road North. He said: “The road was completely taped off.”

A spokesman for Dorset Police said it has also been alerted to the single vehicle collision.

She said officers were still on the scene at around 2pm as they arranged for the recovery of the vehicle.

The road was reopened just before 3pm.

Bridport town, district and county councillor Ros Kayes said that she was sad to hear the news of the collision and her thoughts were with the elderly woman and her family.

She said: “That's absolutely dreadful and I very much hope that she will recover, my thoughts are with her family.

“I think it's everybody's worst nightmare to collapse at the wheel because of the dangers of hurting other people and having a severe accident.

“My heart goes out to her.”

Mayor of Bridport Maggie Ray added: “It's a terrible tragic accident and I hope that she will recover and our thoughts go out to the family.”