This is Nottingham --A GP who helped treat the victims of a road crash which claimed three lives said it was one of the worst he had ever seen.
Two men and a woman were pronounced dead at the scene following the collision in Debdale Lane, Mansfield Woodhouse, which involved a black BMW car, a Honda motorcycle and a Ford Ranger pick-up.
Police named the BMW driver killed in the crash on Friday night as Teresa Mitchell, 38, of Birks Road, Mansfield.
Ricky Goodall, 24, of Barker Avenue, Sutton-in-Ashfield, a front seat passenger in the BMW, was also killed, while motorcyclist Alan Dexter, 47, of Northfield Avenue, Pleasley Vale, Mansfield, also died.
Two other men, aged 22 and 27, who had been passengers in the BMW, and the 29-year-old male driver of the pick-up last night remained in hospital with serious injuries.
Two members of the East Midlands Immediate Care Scheme – a group of doctors who assist injured people in emergency situations – were among the first on the scene.
Kegworth GP Dr Nick Foster said he and Dr Mark Folman, of Newark, tended to the injured.
He said: "It was an horrific scene. We have covered hundreds of these accidents and this was one of the worst, especially taking into consideration the number of fatalities."
Investigating officer Detective Sergeant James Greely, of Notts Police, said: "A tragic case like this is never pleasant but it's even more poignant at this time of year. We are still at a very early stage. This particular case is going to hinge on what the forensic results tell us, and the results of that will take a couple of weeks."
Police have been taking witness statements in the area and studying CCTV to find out more about the incident which happened at around 9.50pm on Friday.
Floral tributes have been left at the scene.
One message read: "Teresa, so sorry, you will be sadly missed."
Another said: "Alan, sleep tight bro. Taken from us too early. Love and miss you always."
A third message left at the scene read: "RIP Angel."
Workers at The Rufford pub in Chesterfield Road South, at the junction with Debdale Lane, witnessed the aftermath of the crash.
Chef Aaron Boulton, 33, of Mansfield Woodhouse, had just finished his shift in the kitchen when he heard the emergency services' sirens and a helicopter overhead.
He said: "We saw police had blocked all the road off.
"It was raining and really cold at the time so I went out to offer the police a cuppa.
"As I went out I could see up to six people stood on the corner of Debdale Lane looking distressed.
"They were smacking the walls and crying on each others' shoulders. At that point I knew something bad had happened."
Linzi Pownall, 36, was duty manager at the pub at the time of the crash.
She said: "It's devastated everyone. We have had a lot of bad times for people here this year and this is just another bad thing to have happened."
The collision happened on a bend in a 40mph speed limit section of the road at about 9.50pm on Friday.
Metal railed fencing at the side of the road was damaged as a result of the crash, while fragments of debris were still in the road.
Amanda Garlick, 53, had been walking back to her home in Debdale Lane after a night out when she saw the road was closed.
She ended up being given a lift home by police via a diversion. She said: "I was told there had been a fatal accident and that I couldn't go down the road.
"It's awful. For their relatives left behind, Christmas is going to be ruined for the rest of their lives."
Paul Walker, 54, who has lived in Debdale Lane for nearly 20 years, said residents had campaigned for an electronic speed sign on the busy road.
He said: "Something like this is sad at any time of the year."
Fire crews from Mansfield, Edwinstowe, Warsop and Tuxford were at the scene for around 90 minutes and had to free one person from the wreckage.
Debdale Lane was closed between Sherwood Rise and Burlington Drive for 12 hours while officers carried out an investigation.
Anyone who witnessed the collision, or who has any information about the incident, is asked to contact Nottinghamshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 886 of December 20. Reported by This is 23 hours ago.