Stolen car in A5 crash tragedy was being followed by police after burglary
[gallery] One man died and another was seriously injured after a car crash forced the closure of the A5 and ushered in hours of traffic chaos in the county. The car was being followed by police after a burglary in Craven Arms.
The dead man is believed to have been at the wheel of the Vauxhall Corsa that smashed into Emstrey Island near Shrewsbury, at the junction of the B4380 and the London Road, at about 2.15am.
He managed to escape the wreckage of the car but suffered a heart attack at the side of the road and died despite a battle by paramedics to save him.
A passenger in the car, a 19-year-old man, was trapped in the wreckage for about 40 minutes and was given emergency treatment by medics as firefighters battled to free him.
The man was subsequently taken to University Hospital North Staffordshire suffering from head, facial and suspected spinal injuries.
A statement from West Mercia Police this afternoon said: "Officers became aware that a red Vauxhall Corsa had been reported as stolen in the burglary and followed the vehicle when it was seen on the A5 near Shrewsbury.
"At approximately 2.15am the Corsa collided with a lamp post and left the road.
"A man in his 20s from the West Midlands, who was believed to be driving the vehicle, was declared dead at the scene by medics. His family and the coroner have been informed.
"A 19-year-old man who was also in the vehicle was taken to hospital with life-changing injuries.
"West Mercia Police has referred the incident to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), which is standard practice in such circumstances."
Officers are appealing for anyone who witnessed the collision to call police on telephone 101 quoting incident number 0066s 060614
A separate accident on the A5 this morning near, Junction 7 of the M54 at Wellington, caused further disruption for drivers and, with the fatal crash as well, led to police closing the eastbound A5 between the motorway junction and the A5064 at Emstrey while investigations were carried out.
There were delays of at least 90 minutes.
A broken down car on the A5 added to the delays heading out of Shrewsbury from the Emstrey Island towards the Preston Island and there were yet more tailbacks after the eastbound lane of the M54 between Junction 3 for Albrighton and Junction 2 for Wolverhampton was blocked following a third accident, involving a lorry and a car, this morning.
The logjam was so severe on the A5 that Highways Agency staff were reported to have used heavy gear to break through the metal central reservation to enable drivers to escape the queues onto the opposite carriageway.
There was also heavy congestion heading into Shrewsbury on the A5191 St Michael's Street and the B5062 Sundorne Road as traffic was diverted away from the A5 closure.
The cross-county traffic congestion was so severe National Express cancelled all its coaches serving both Shrewsbury and Telford.
The A5 was fully open again by 3.45pm.
In the second accident this morning a teenager had to be airlifted to hospital and six other casualties were taken by ambulance.
West Midlands Ambulance Service was called to the A5 in Overley, Telford, two miles west of junction seven, at 8.10am and sent three ambulances, a paramedic area support officer and the Midlands Air Ambulance from Cosford to the scene.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: "On arrival, crews discovered a five-vehicle collision involving three cars, a van and a lorry.
"It quickly became apparent there were a number of casualties at the scene, but thankfully none of them had life-threatening injuries.
"Following assessment by crews, a teenage girl was immobilised with the use of a spinal board and neck collar and treated for back and stomach injuries. She was also given pain relief before being flown to Birmingham Children's Hospital.
"The three ambulances on scene all transported two patients each to Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.
"Four of the patients, all men in their 30s, were all travelling in the same car and suffered minor injuries in the collision.
"Two further patients, two teenage girls, were also transported to Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.
"Due to the nature of the collision and the number of vehicles involved, the incident caused significant traffic disruption in the area."
During today's road chaos a number of coach services, including Arriva Midlands and National Express, were suspended.
Helen Madden, 47, from Shifnal, was travelling into work in Battlefield when she got caught up in the mayhem.
She said: "I was sat with my engine off for more than 30 minutes.
There was about three miles of traffic ahead of me and about a mile behind."
Office worker Phil Gillam, from Shrewsbury, was stuck between the Emstree and Preston Islands for more than an hour.
He said: "Lots of people were getting out of their cars.
"I think they resigned themselves to the fact we weren't moving and decided to take advantage of the sunshine."
Inspector Jane Fitzpatrick of West Mercia Police confirmed a Vauxhall Corsa had collided with the traffic island at the junction with the B4380 and the London Road.
West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman Claire Thomas said: "The car had left the road and collided with a grass bank before coming to rest in an area of trees.
"The driver of the car, a man, was out of the vehicle and in cardiac arrest.
"Crews and the medic worked as a team to deliver advanced life support at the roadside, administering pre-hospital medical interventions in an attempt to revive the man.
"Sadly, despite their best efforts, nothing could be done to save the man and he was confirmed dead at the scene.
"The passenger, a 19-year-old man, was trapped in the wreckage. Upon assessment, ambulance staff found he had sustained head, facial and suspected spinal injuries.
"While medics administered treatment including pain relief, the fire service carefully worked around them to extricate the man from the car."
