Traffic gridlock after car overturns

Parents on the school run were caught up in traffic chaos yesterday after a car overturned in a crash at a busy roundabout.

The driver, who is thought to have been thrown from the vehicle, escaped with minor injuries.

Huge queues built up in all directions after the mid-afternoon collision just off the Scotts Green Island near Holly Hall Maths and Computing College in Holly Hall, Dudley.

Police closed off access from the roundabout to Kingswinford Road after the smash between a Ford Fiesta and Renault Megane, causing gridlock for the next two hours.

The 18-year-old driver of the Fiesta which overturned, was taken to nearby Russells Hall Hospital with minor arm and knee injuries. The other driver was unhurt.

A passing ambulance crew on routine duties stopped to help at the scene.

One of the drivers caught up in the chaos was photographer Jon Hipkiss, aged 20, of Clyde Avenue, Halesowen, who was approaching Scotts Green Island at around 3.20pm.

He said: “You couldn’t get on to the island. It was gridlocked. One car had flipped on to its roof and there were two ambulances and two fire engines there”.

West Midlands Ambulance spokesman Chris Kowalik confirmed two ambulances had gone to the scene.

He said: “On arrival crews found two cars which had been involved in a collision. One of the vehicles had overturned. The crew of a passing non-emergency ambulance had stopped to help”.