Four-vehicle smash grinds M6 to a halt

The M6 was brought to a standstill in Staffordshire following a crash between three cars and a van.

A young woman had to be cut free from her car following the four-vehicle smash, which caused lengthy tailbacks along both sides of the motorway as the air ambulance was forced to land.

Three cars and a van were involved in the accident northbound between junction 14 for Stafford North and junction 15 for Stoke. The accident resulted in traffic delays back to junction 11 for Cannock.

The woman, in her 20s, was trapped in her car and had to be freed by firefighters. She suffered cuts to her head and an arm injury.

Paramedics and fire crews attended the scene at 2.30pm yesterday.

A temporary closure lasted for 20 minutes between junctions 14 and 15 while there was also delays on the southbound carriageway when the Midlands Air Ambulance landed there.

Chris Kowalik, a spokesman for West Midlands Ambulance Service, said: "The motorway was temporarily blocked in both directions, with the air ambulance landing on the southbound carriageway.

"Everyone involved in the collision was out of their vehicles except for a woman driver in her 20s who was trapped in her car and freed with the help of the fire service.

"She had cuts to her head and an injury to an arm. She was given pain relief at the scene and was taken by land ambulance to the University Hospital of North Staffordshire."

There were also problems on Boney Hay Road in Burntwood because of an accident involving three cars at about 8.15pm yesterday.

Not only did it block the road but traffic was also slow in both directions close to the Highfield Road junction.

In Norton Canes, there was also further misery as Brownhills Road was shut in both directions near to Norton Canes library because of an accident at about 7.50pm.

By Richard Woodall