Five in hospital after motorway crash

A woman and four children were taken to hospital after a motorway crash.

Two boys and a girl, all aged between eight and 11, and a toddler, aged between 12 and 18 months, were taken to hospital after the car they were travelling in was involved in a collision with another car on the M6.

The driver of the car carrying the children, a woman in her 40s, was also taken to City Hospital in Birmingham after the vehicle hit a crash barrier at 12.45pm today on the M6 northbound slip road at the junction of the A38M.

Two cars were involved but it is unclear whether the one carrying the injured children hit the barrier before it collided with the other car. No one in the second car was taken to hospital.

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: "Crews arrived to find two cars that had been in a significant collision. One car had also been in collision with a barrier and suffered extensive damage.

"Three ambulances and an incident support officer attended the scene.

"Two boys and a girl, all believed to be between 8- and 11-years-old were treated at the scene for multiple minor injuries and immobilised using spinal boards and neck collars.

"Two of the children were believed to have suffered a brief loss of consciousness in the crash.

"The fourth child, believed to be between 12- and 18- months-old, and the driver of the car, a woman in her 40s, were both checked over at the scene by ambulance crews. Both were transferred by ambulance to the same hospital as a precaution.

"The hospital had been pre-alerted to the patients arrival and their condition.

"Thankfully, all the children were using appropriate safety seats and wearing seat belts. Considering the damage to the vehicle it was fortunate no one suffered more serious injuries."

PA