04 July 2008

Second M6 Crash Follows Fatal Accident

A woman motorist has died and two people have been seriously injured in a horror crash on the M6 - an incident quickly followed by another very serious accident on the same highway.

Emergency services were called to the scene of the first accident between Junction 32 and 33 northbound, near Preston, just before 1.30am after four vehicles collided.

Lancashire Police say the female motorist was pronounced dead at the scene.

A woman, believed to be the dead woman's friend, remains "critically ill in hospital" and a man is believed to have sustained "serious injuries".

Both women had been travelling in a Ford Escort believed to be from southern England. Enquiries are continuing to identify them.

The man who sustained serious injuries was driving a Vauxhall Astra while the third man, who suffered minor injuries, had been driving a Mercedes Sprinter van.

The male driver of a fourth vehicle, an HGV, escaped unharmed.

Fire rescue teams from Fulwood, Preston and Garstang used specialist cutting equipment to free three people and two dogs from the wreckage of the vehicles.

Dominic Fellows, Crew Manager at Preston Fire Station said "it was chaotic".

"One vehicle had hit the central reservation, the van was across the hard shoulder and the Astra was straddled across the middle lane," he said.

Police say that the motorway was closed for several hours whilst emergency services attended the scene and was reopened just before 8am today, Friday.

However, just hours later, the M6 was again closed - this time between Junctions 29 and 30 - as police and fire crews fought to free a driver trapped in the wreckage of his HGV. He has been cut free and taken to hospital by ambulance.

The second incident was around 11.15am and again caused traffic chaos.

(DS)