Rush hour car crash kills two

Oct 3 2006 By Mark Cowan, Birmingham Mail

TWO people died and three others were seriously injured in Birmingham today.

Four vehicles were involved in the pile-up at the peak of the morning rush hour on the A38 Bristol Road in Edgbaston, on one of the city's busiest commuter routes.

Paramedics in five ambulances were on the scene, at the junction with Viceroy Close, within four minutes.

Despite their efforts to treat casualties trapped in their vehicles, two of the injured people were pronounced dead at the scene.

The casualties were taken to Selly Oak Hospital by ambulance. One of those involved in the crash was understood to have been a child.

Today's crash brought chaos to the area and motorists and police were forced to close a number of roads, including the busy into-city carriageway of Bristol Road.

Police crash scene investigators were drafted in to try to establish the cause of the collision, which happened close to the site of a speed camera.

A spokesman for West Midlands Ambulance Service said: "Just before 8.30am, we were alerted to a serious multi-vehicle road traffic accident on the Bristol Road.

"Ambulance crews arrived on scene and treated four casualties trapped in their vehicles. Two casualties were pronounced dead at the scene."

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