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Six people have been killed and a seventh was critically injured in a crash involving several cars in Birmingham.
Six people died and a seventh was in a critical condition after a “harrowing” crash involving six cars at the end of a Christmas night out in Birmingham.
West Midlands ambulance service said six cars, including a seven-seater taxi, were involved in the collision in an underpass on Lee Bank Middleway, near Edgbaston, at 1.10am on Sunday.
Three men were killed when they were thrown out of their car while a black cab driver and his two passengers, a man and woman, died when their seven-seater flipped on to its side.
The six who died at the scene included the driver of the taxi and his two passengers, a man and a woman, as well as three men who were thrown from a car during the collision.
As police investigated whether speeding or adverse road conditions may have caused the accident, West Midlands ambulance service said it was “astonishing” that the number of fatalities was not higher.
West Midlands police launched an investigation into what they described as the “very difficult and upsetting” circumstances of the collision, and asked witnesses to make contact on 101.
A man and a woman escaped with only minor injuries from the wreckage of their car, which was almost completely crushed in the collision in an underpass south of Birmingham city centre shortly after 1am on Sunday.
A West Midlands ambulance service spokesman described the crash scene as “extremely complex and distressing” and said it involved three cars initially, plus another three that tried to avoid the earlier collision.
The six victims, who police have formally identified but whose names have not been released, were travelling in two of the six cars involved in the collision.
He said: “There were six vehicles involved in the crash scene, which was extensive. In the first car there were a man and a woman. The vehicle had suffered very extensive damage but astonishingly, despite the damage, the pair had managed to get out and had suffered relatively minor injuries. They were taken to Heartlands hospital by ambulance for further assessment.
Of the four men in one of the cars, three died when they were thrown into the road while the fourth remains in a critical condition in Queen Elizabeth hospital in Birmingham.
“The second vehicle, a black cab, was on its side. Sadly, there was nothing that could be done to save the driver and he was confirmed dead at the scene. The man and woman in the back were rapidly extricated.
A further three cars were involved in a pile-up when they swerved to avoid the initial collision, the ambulance service said, although none of those occupants suffered serious injuries.
“Unfortunately, it was not possible to save the woman and she was also confirmed dead at the scene. The man was taken on blue lights to the major trauma centre at the Queen Elizabeth hospital Birmingham with the Merit trauma doctor travelling with the crew. Sadly, he died at hospital.
Detectives were investigating on Sunday whether road conditions were a factor in the crash at 1.11am, eight hours after it was gritted.
“There were four men from the third car. All had been ejected. Tragically, three of them were confirmed dead at the scene. The fourth was also taken on blue lights to the major trauma centre at the Queen Elizabeth hospital Birmingham with the critical care car doctor travelling with the crew. He was said to be in a critical condition on arrival.”
Temperatures had dropped below freezing and visibility was reduced by fog at the time of the fatal accident, when many Christmas revellers were returning home on one of the busiest nights of the year.
The three further cars were involved in a pile-up after an attempt to avoid the crash scene, the spokesman said. From these cars, two people sustained minor injuries and were taken to hospital.
In a press conference at West Midlands police headquarters, Supt Sean Phillips confirmed officers were investigating whether all those involved were wearing seatbelts and whether any of the vehicles exceeded the 40mph speed limit on the two-lane Lee Bank Middleway, where locals said there had long been a problem with racing.
Two ambulances were on scene within seven minutes, and a total of five ambulances, three paramedic officers, the hazardous area response team, a trauma doctor and the air ambulance were sent to the scene.
Phillips said: “It is way too early to speculate on the causes of the accident. It will take some time to unpick the scene and understand exactly what’s happened. What I can say is that we’re looking at all sorts of conditions including road conditions – we’re aware the road was gritted at 5pm last night – but that’s just one factor of many we’re considering.
The crash happened on one of the busiest nights of the year as Christmas revellers made their way home on one of Birmingham’s busiest roads.
In a press conference at West Midlands police headquarters on Sunday afternoon, Supt Sean Phillips said specialist officers would investigate the speed the cars had been travelling at, whether all passengers had been wearing seatbelts, and the road conditions at the time of the “very harrowing” accident.
He said the road had been gritted at 5pm on Saturday night, eight hours before the crash, as temperatures dropped below zero. He declined to say whether speeding might have been a factor on the 40mph road, where locals said there had long been a problem with racing.
Phillips added: “It is way too early to speculate on the causes of the accident. It will take some time to unpick the scene and understand exactly what’s happened. What I can say is that we’re looking at all sorts of conditions including road conditions – we’re aware the road was gritted at 5pm last night – but that’s just one factor of many we’re considering.
“There are a whole host of questions that I’m sure we all want answered – particularly, most importantly, the families of those involved. We need to go through the procedures with a dedicated team of specialist officers and as soon as we have that information it will be released as soon as possible to those involved.”
“There are a whole host of questions that I’m sure we all want answered – particularly, most importantly, the families of those involved. We need to go through the procedures with a dedicated team of specialist officers and as soon as we have that information it will be released as soon as possible to those involved.”
A passerby who asked not to be named said: “It is really horrific. When I saw the scene it reminded me of the pictures of Diana’s car crash.
Phillips said police officers and paramedics would be offered specialist counselling after attending the “very harrowing” scene, which witnesses described as “absolute carnage”.
A local resident, who did not want to be named, said she rushed outside to try help after hearing a “massive bang” near the entrance to the underpass at the junction with Bristol Road.
She added: “I just couldn’t get it out of my mind [afterwards], it was haunting. There was lots of vehicles that were facing the wrong way. Clearly as more cars came along there had been accidents with people trying to stop in time.
“The main crash was absolutely awful. The taxi was upturned and caved in. I heard cutting and drilling, which was obviously the emergency services trying to get the victims out.”
She added: “It’s just so sad. I really do feel for them. I know at any time it’s bad, but it just seems so bad because it’s Christmas time. I just hope that the ones who had got out alive do recover soon and that the families are coping OK.”
Another witness, Lizzy Bowers, 18, from London, said: “It was the most horrible thing I have ever witnessed. It didn’t look good at all.”
She added: “Other cars behind had bumped into each other, probably from slamming their brakes on. Very upsetting, emergency service arrived almost minutes after and has been cordoned off with lots of police since.”
A passerby, who asked not to be named, said: “It is really horrific. When I saw the scene it reminded me of the pictures of Diana’s car crash.
“A man turned up here and said the police had knocked on his door this morning and told him one of his relatives had died in the crash. He didn’t know what had happened to the second person in the car so he was at the scene trying to find out. It must have been horrendous for him. People have told me there were bodies scattered across the carriageway.”
“A man turned up here and said the police had knocked on his door this morning and told him one of his relatives had died in the crash. He didn’t know what had happened to the second person in the car so he was at the scene trying to find out. It must have been horrendous for him. People have told me there were bodies scattered across the carriageway.”
A local resident said she had rushed outside to try to help after hearing a “massive bang” near the entrance to the underpass. She said the scene was of “absolute carnage”.
Another passerby, Wayne Hopkins, 64, from the Hall Green area of Birmingham, said: “People use this road as a racetrack, it’s so dangerous. I can’t believe this has happened. It’s awful, especially as it’s so close to Christmas.”
“The emergency services arrived almost immediately and I asked if there was anything I could do, but they said it was best just to keep clear,” she said. “I just couldn’t get it out of my mind [afterwards], it was haunting. There was lots of vehicles that were facing the wrong way. Clearly as more cars came along there had been accidents with people trying to stop in time.”
Michelle Brotherton, from the ambulance service, said her staff had dealt with 13 patients in total. As well as those who died and the man in a critical condition, four people were taken to Heartlands Hospital where their condition is believed to be non-life threatening. A further two patients were “discharged on scene”.
The woman, who declined to be named, said people were standing around “in shock” as emergency services tried to rescue people.
She added: “The main crash was absolutely awful. The taxi was upturned and caved in. I heard cutting and drilling, which was obviously the emergency services trying to get the victims out.
“It was horrible. You feel shocked, distressed and helpless and I’m not the kind of person to run out into the street in the middle of the night, but I knew it was bad.
“It’s just so sad. I really do feel for them. I know at any time it’s bad, but it just seems so bad because it’s Christmas time. I just hope that the ones who had got out alive do recover soon and that the families are coping OK.”
Another passerby, Wayne Hopkins, 64, from the Hall Green area of Birmingham, said: “People use this road as a racetrack. It’s so dangerous. I can’t believe this has happened. It’s awful, especially as it’s so close to Christmas.”
The West Midlands fire service said 40 firefighters had helped in the aftermath of the crash.
The area commander Jason Campbell said: “The first West Midlands fire service crews arrived in less than four minutes and were met with a complex scene, spread over some distance. Our firefighters’ actions involved stabilising vehicles, releasing the dead and injured, as well as administering CPR and first aid.
“All of the emergency services worked together and coordinated their response in extremely challenging circumstances, doing all they possibly could to minimise the loss of life.”
Sgt Alan Hands, of West Midlands police, offered the force’s condolences to those affected by the crash. “Our thoughts and deepest sympathies remain with the families of those who have very sadly lost their lives this morning and those who have been injured or caught up in this incident,” he said.
