Dozens involved in pile-ups as ice bites on Midlands roads

Jan 1 2009 by Emma McKinney, Birmingham Mail

Among the injured in the second crash was a woman, believed to be in her 20s, who suffered serious head injuries and was taken to the Alexandra Hospital where she was thought to be in a stable condition.

A third accident took place further up the road involving four cars, causing some minor injuries. Incident Support Officer Dave Newey, of West Midlands Ambulance Service, said: “In these three cases it is extremely lucky that no one was more seriously or even fatally injured. All the emergency services on scene worked hard as a team to ensure that everyone was given the best possible care as soon as possible.”

The crashes left the A435 closed between Gorcott Hill and Junction 3 of the M42 motorway near Portway. Both slip roads leading on to the M42 from the A435 were also closed until 1.30pm.

Forecasters have warned drivers that poor conditions are likely to continue with temperatures of -5°C tomorrow night in Birmingham.

Met Office forecaster Sarah Holland said: “A combination of cold temperatures and cloud have caused quite dense patches of mist over the Midlands in the last 24 hours and we expect that to continue for the next day or two.”