An ambulance on its way to an emergency call was written off when a delivery van pulled into its path and caused a serious crash, a court heard yesterday.

An ambulance on its way to an emergency call was written off when a delivery van pulled into its path and caused a serious crash, a court heard yesterday.

Van driver Paul Fiddes failed to see the ambulance, with its lights flashing and siren sounding, as it tried to overtake him on the A148, near Cromer.

At the same moment, he attempted to pull over to the other side of the road to make a delivery and the two vehicles collided, leading to the closure of the 50mph stretch of Holt Road for several hours.

Yesterday Fiddes, 33, of Black Street, Gisleham, near Lowestoft, pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention on September 19.

Fiddes, who already had three points on his licence for speeding, avoided being banned after magistrates decided to impose five further points on him. He was fined £200 and ordered to pay costs of £50.

David Hutson, prosecuting at Lowestoft Magistrates' Court, said a driver and passenger in the ambulance, and Fiddes, suffered minor injuries. The crash happened just before noon near the Pinewood Caravan Park. “The ambulance was written off and there was severe damage to the van,” he added.

James Hartley, for Fiddes, said his client had worked for the DHL delivery firm for more than seven years and faced losing his job if he was disqualified.

Fiddes could not initially find the home to which he had to deliver a package and arranged for the customer to wait on the pavement for him. When he found the correct address, he tried to pull over to the other side of the single-carriageway road and collided with the ambulance. “He accepts he is to blame for this and is apologetic about it,” said Mr Hartley.