Two brothers and a woman died yesterday after their car flipped on a motorway in a day of Christmas carnage on the roads.
The boys, aged four and ten, and a 32-year-old woman were killed as the Ford Focus careered out of control and hit a tree on the M6 in Staffordshire.
The driver of the car, who is believed to be the boys’ mother, and another female passenger were in a stable condition in University Hospital North Staffordshire last night.
The M6 tragedy happened near the junction 15 exit for Stoke-on-Trent on the northbound carriageway shortly before midday.
A witness said the maroon Focus appeared to have
struck a tree beside the hard shoulder before flipping. No other
vehicles were believed to be involved.
Police said the family is believed to have been travelling from the Thames Valley area.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: ‘Crews arrived to find a single vehicle that had crashed and overturned. Two children and an adult that were travelling in the vehicle suffered serious injuries.
A man at the scene, who asked not to be named, said: ‘The car looked damaged. It was taken away covered by a blue sheet.
‘You could see part of a tree had come down by the side of the road. The car must have hit it.’ Police spent more than three hours clearing the wreckage, leading to huge tailbacks on the motorway.
Teacher Colin Main, 34, from Birmingham, one of those stuck in the traffic jam, said: ‘It’s always devastating to hear of children losing their lives but for something like this to happen on Christmas day is beyond heartbreaking.
‘There was probably a family waiting for those children to arrive on Christmas day. It’s tragic.
‘My heart goes out to all the families affected. Their whole lives have been ripped apart on what should be a day filled with happiness.
‘You can’t imagine what they must be going through.’
A husband and wife were killed in a separate Christmas morning crash when the car they were passengers in veered off the road near a bend and slammed into trees before overturning.
The driver, a young man in his 20s and believed to be the dead couple’s son, suffered serious chest injuries and was taken to hospital following the smash on B3349 Odiham Road at Riseley, Berkshire - on the border with Hampshire, near Basingstoke.
The couple were later named as Ann Goodrich, 57, and her 56-year-old husband Paul, from Church Crookham, near Fleet, Hampshire.
The single-car accident was seen by a passing motorist who stopped at the scene and raised the alarm shortly after 10am.
It was not yet known where the trio were heading when the crash happened, although police sources said that it was believed they lived in the area where the accident happened.
Hampshire Police sealed off the road for several hours while they investigated the crash.
A passenger was killed and two others were left fighting for their lives after an Audi A6 car containing five people crashed in the early hours of yesterday morning.
The Audi left the A3102 Bath Road in Melksham, Wiltshire, shortly after 3.30am. The road was closed for six hours while officers investigated the tragedy.
A Nissan Note flipped over in the accident about a mile and a-half south of Pathhead in Midlothian.
Three horses died and a man was left fighting for his life after his car ploughed into the animals that had strayed onto A14 at Sproughton, near Ipswich, late on Christmas Eve. The 23-year-old suffered critical head injuries after his hatchback saloon was one of four cars that careered into the horses.
A 20-year-old woman who was the front-seat passenger in the vehicle was also taken to Ipswich Hospital, but her injuries were not believed to be serious.
The boys, aged four and ten, and a 32-year-old woman were killed as the Ford Focus careered out of control and hit a tree on the M6 in Staffordshire.
The driver of the car, who is believed to be the boys’ mother, and another female passenger were in a stable condition in University Hospital North Staffordshire last night.
Tragic: Two children were killed and two adults injured in a horror crash on the M6 on Christmas morning
Aftermath: Police at the scene between junctions
14 and 15 following the crash which involved a single car on the
northbound carriageway of the M6 yesterday morning
Investigation: The car is covered in tarpaulin
at the side of the M6 motorway as police officers begin an investigation
into the crash
Horrific: A recovery vehicle was pictured next
to the wreckage of the car yesterday afternoon as police begin to try
and establish the circumstances surrounding the horror crash
Another three adults died in two separate crashes yesterday after three men were killed in an accident on Christmas Eve.The M6 tragedy happened near the junction 15 exit for Stoke-on-Trent on the northbound carriageway shortly before midday.
Police said the family is believed to have been travelling from the Thames Valley area.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: ‘Crews arrived to find a single vehicle that had crashed and overturned. Two children and an adult that were travelling in the vehicle suffered serious injuries.
Clear-up: Recovery workers put the tarpaulin
covered car on the back of a truck ready to be towed away following the
devastating crash on the M6 motorway
Wreckage: The car is towed away from the scene
this afternoon as emergency crews and recovery workers work tirelessly
to get the carriageway reopened
A single car, a red Ford Focus, was involved in the crash shortly before 11.30am yesterday morning
‘Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of ambulance crews, nothing could be done to save the two boys and one woman.’ A man at the scene, who asked not to be named, said: ‘The car looked damaged. It was taken away covered by a blue sheet.
‘You could see part of a tree had come down by the side of the road. The car must have hit it.’ Police spent more than three hours clearing the wreckage, leading to huge tailbacks on the motorway.
Teacher Colin Main, 34, from Birmingham, one of those stuck in the traffic jam, said: ‘It’s always devastating to hear of children losing their lives but for something like this to happen on Christmas day is beyond heartbreaking.
Standstill: Drivers and passengers stand next to
their cars in a long traffic jam after yesterday morning's fatal crash
on the M6 motorway. The road is expected to be closed in both directions
for several hours at least
Tailback: Drivers stand around their vehicles
and walk around the M6 as they are caught up in the aftermath of
yesterday morning's crash
Getting through: A man and a child walk on the
closed M6 northbound carriageway, due to a crash between junctions 14,
near Stafford, and 15, near Stoke-on-Trent
‘My heart goes out to all the families affected. Their whole lives have been ripped apart on what should be a day filled with happiness.
‘You can’t imagine what they must be going through.’
A husband and wife were killed in a separate Christmas morning crash when the car they were passengers in veered off the road near a bend and slammed into trees before overturning.
The driver, a young man in his 20s and believed to be the dead couple’s son, suffered serious chest injuries and was taken to hospital following the smash on B3349 Odiham Road at Riseley, Berkshire - on the border with Hampshire, near Basingstoke.
The couple were later named as Ann Goodrich, 57, and her 56-year-old husband Paul, from Church Crookham, near Fleet, Hampshire.
The crash happened between Junctions 14 and 15 of the M6 in Staffordshire
It was not yet known where the trio were heading when the crash happened, although police sources said that it was believed they lived in the area where the accident happened.
Hampshire Police sealed off the road for several hours while they investigated the crash.
A passenger was killed and two others were left fighting for their lives after an Audi A6 car containing five people crashed in the early hours of yesterday morning.
The Audi left the A3102 Bath Road in Melksham, Wiltshire, shortly after 3.30am. The road was closed for six hours while officers investigated the tragedy.
Fatal: Police at the scene of a crash in Risely,
Berkshire, in which two people were killed when their vehicle collided
with a tree
Crash: The wreckage of the vehicle pictured in trees in Risely, Berkshire, following a crash which saw two people die
Investigation: Police remained at the scene in Risely, Berkshire, where two people died in a road incident
Tragic: Three men were killed and three other people taken to hospital after a two-car crash in Scotland on Christmas Eve
The dreadful day on the roads came after three men died in a head-on crash on Christmas Eve on the A68 in the east of Scotland.A Nissan Note flipped over in the accident about a mile and a-half south of Pathhead in Midlothian.
Three horses died and a man was left fighting for his life after his car ploughed into the animals that had strayed onto A14 at Sproughton, near Ipswich, late on Christmas Eve. The 23-year-old suffered critical head injuries after his hatchback saloon was one of four cars that careered into the horses.
A 20-year-old woman who was the front-seat passenger in the vehicle was also taken to Ipswich Hospital, but her injuries were not believed to be serious.
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