Three die in crash on A5 near Oswestry
Three people died in a crash on the A5 in Shropshire, police have revealed.
Two people in their 70s and a 24-year-old man lost their lives in one of the worst crashes in the county this year.
Officers today made a fresh appeal for witnesses after the tragedy on the trunk road between Shrewsbury and Oswestry while the area's MP said he was seeking urgent talks with Transport minister, Grant Shapps about dualling that stretch of the A5.
The collision happened at around 10.35pm on Friday and involved two cars, a blue Nissan and a silver Ford Mondeo.
In a statement issued last night West Mercia Police said that the driver of the Mondeo, a 75-year-old man and the car’s passenger a 73-year-old woman, both from Oswestry, were pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the Nissan, a 24-year-old man from Oswestry, was taken to the Royal Stoke University Hospital but police said that he later died from his injuries.
Emergency services were quickly on the scene and worked together in an hour-long operation to release the casualties from the wreckage of the vehicles.
The road was closed for several hours for police investigation officers to carry out their work. Traffic was diverted onto local roads.
Police said: "Any witnesses, that haven’t yet spoken to us, are asked to contact West Mercia Police on 101 quoting reference 797s of 11 October 2019. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 or at crimestoppers-uk.org."
The crash has brought renewed calls for the road, north of Shrewsbury, to be made a dual carrriageway.
North Shropshire MP, Owen Paterson, who has been campaigning for the improvements for more than a decade, said it was the worst tragedy he could remember on the road.
"It is really shocking that three local people have been killed on the A5. My profound condolences to the families and friends of all involved.
"It is an absolute priority to dual this inadequate, busy road."
