M6 delays after rush-hour smash as children return to school
Drivers on the M6 faced lengthy delays this morning after a three-vehicle crash during the first commute of the new school term.
More than 90 minutes was added onto northbound motorists' journeys as a result of the smash, which happened between junctions 9 and 10 near Walsall at around 7.20am.
Two cars and a HGV were involved in the collision, which destroyed the front end of one car.
Nobody was trapped or injured, but firefighters from Willenhall and the West Midlands Technical Rescue Unit were sent to clear the road and make the vehicles safe.
Traffic was initially completely stopped in the wake of the crash and the outside lane stayed closed for more than two hours, causing vehicles to back up past Junction 8 towards Birmingham.
The added traffic clogged up many already-busy nearby roads as thousands of children returned to school for the first day of the autumn term.
All lanes were back open by 9.30am but delays continued late into the morning.
Highways England described the earlier delays as 'severe' and said contractors had been working to repair barriers and clear the road.
The M5 was also slow northbound through rush hour, with delays of around 60 minutes due to an earlier incident.
