Morning crash closes 280 east

All lanes on U.S. 280 eastbound were closed and those on the westbound were slowed this morning after a two car collision.

Police reported the call came in around 7:55 a.m.

Mountain Brook Fire Department battalion chief Tim Wooten said his department was dispatched along with the Birmingham Fire Department to U.S. 280 East in front of the Wendy's and Hampton Inn.

Wooten said the crash involved two vehicles, with one of the vehicles rolled over causing entrapment.

Police Chief Ted Cook said preliminary evidence suggests the driver may have been attempting to turn left across the highway, but misjudged the distance and speed of oncoming traffic.

One person was already out of the vehicle when the crew arrived, Wooten said, but the other was still trapped.

He said that when Birmingham's team arrived, they set up a unified command and closed the highway in order to assist those involved.

"We worked together to extricate the patient," he said. "All the crews did a really good job in getting the patient out."

Wooten said the patient was sent to a nearby hospital after the lengthy extrication process, but that there were no other major injuries.

Several photos on social media documented motorists assisting the motorists involved in the crash before emergency teams even arrived.