Traffic chaos as car crashes after hitting manhole cover

Dec 14 2007 By Patrice John, Birmingham Mail

A MAN was cut free from his car after it hit a manhole cover on a busy Birmingham road.

The incident happened at 6.20am today on the Aston Expressway city-bound slip road to Dartmouth Circus.

Fire crews cut the 38-year-old from his Toyota Corolla as the manhole cover had become lodged underneath it and the driver was injured. The slip road was coned off to traffic by police following the incident.

Crew Commander Sean Carey, from Highgate Fire Station, said: "It was an open manhole cover and the car had collided with it.

"The manhole cover had been displaced and he must have just driven into it. He had suspected spinal injuries and so we decided to get him out of the car by cutting him out. We had to carry out a full roof removal.

"The car looked in perfect condition at the front but it was completely damaged underneath."

Crew Commander Carey said fire crews from Aston were also on the scene. It took almost an hour to cut the man free before he was taken to hospital for treatment.

A police spokesman said: "Officers were alerted by the ambulance service after a Toyota Corolla was in collision with a manhole cover.

"The exit slip road still remains closed at this time."

Dartmouth Circus is a major junction for motorists wanting to join the outer ring road to skirt around the city centre.

Warning signs flashed on the overhead gantries to slow down the rush-hour traffic and cars were forced to exit at the earlier Park Circus Junction or drive further into the city and exit the Expressway at Lancaster Circus.