Trucker’s miracle escape after M6 horror smash sees lorry split in half

A lorry driver miraculously escaped serious injury after a horror smash[1] saw the vehicle split in half on the M6. It happened between Junction 12, for Cannock, and Junction 13, for Stafford on the northbound carriageway late yesterday morning, April 16. West Midlands Ambulance Service said the driver was out of the vehicle before crews arrived and his injuries were not believed to be serious.

The cab of the lorry had severed from the chassis while the lorry's trailer was left upside down and sprawled across the carriageway. The motorway was closed for 15 hours, leaving motorists stranded in long queues. Some said they had been stuck for three hours.

The carriageway reopened at 3.29am today, March 17, following the crash but one lane was still closed for ongoing repairs to fix "extensive damage sustained to the nearside barrier", said National Highways. A spokesperson for West Midlands Ambulance Service[3] said: "We were called to reports of an RTC on the M6 Northbound between junctions 12 and 13 near Penkridge just before 11.30am yesterday, Sunday. "Two ambulances, two paramedic officers and the Midlands Air Ambulance from Cosford were sent to the scene whilst and Community First Responder was also in attendance.

On arrival, crews discovered a lorry had been involved in a collision and the driver, a man, was already out of the vehicle.

"Ambulance staff treated the patient for injuries not believed to be serious before conveying him by land ambulance to New Cross Hospital for further treatment."

References

1. ^ horror smash (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
2. ^ M6 northbound reopens 15 hours after horror smash as repairs ongoing (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
3. ^ West Midlands Ambulance Service (www.birminghammail.co.uk)