A man has been taken to hospital and five parked cars have been smashed during a seven-vehicle crash.

Emergency services were called to Dudley Road East in Tividale, on the Sandwell border, at 2.25am after the collision, which also damaged a lamp post.

It is believed one moving car tried to overtake another illegally, causing the collision. Two people in the overtaking car fled the scene, fire crews said today.

A man travelling in the other moving car was taken to hospital with suspected spinal injuries.

Fire crews from Dudley, West Bromwich and Tipton were called to the scene, in the early hours of Sunday.

Tipton crew manager Sean Stewart said: “The impact on the five parked vehicles was so forceful all of them were shunted and they have all received damage.”

The road was closed for more than three hours while the vehicles and lamp post were secured.