Rush-hour chaos as crash closes road

Rush-hour traffic ground to a halt in Wolverhampton last night after two cars collided with each other while heading into the city on the busy Penn Road.

The accident happened at the junction of Lea Road and the A449 Penn Road when a green Honda Civic and blue Toyota Avensis collided as they passed the McDonald's restaurant.

The road was closed from around 5pm until 5.45pm and traffic heading into Wolverhampton was diverted away from the road while a police responder unit and a fire engine from Tettenhall police station got to the scene and removed the cars. Traffic travelling out of Wolverhampton also queued as people slowed down to look at the scene of the accident.

One woman driver was taken to New Cross Hospital with minor injuries and was released last night, while the driver of the other car was unhurt.

Catherine Preece from West Midlands Police said: "Luckily the injuries suffered by the woman driver were fairly minor."

Yesterday's crash was around a mile away from the scene of a fatal accident on January 22 when a Birmingham UCE lecturer, 47-year old Joanne Tidball, was killed after tripping and falling into the path of a car at a pelican crossing.

Also, on January 8, a Hyundai Coupe and Mitsubishi Charisman collided and knocked over a bollard at the Penn Road junction with Marston Road, injuring one driver.

On December 14, the Penn Road was sealed off close to the Quality Hotel after a 21-year old man waiting at a bus stop was thrown 50 yards after a Mercedes ploughed into the shelter.

Both the driver and the pedestrian suffered head injuries in the collision, with long tailbacks spreading down the Penn road while the Mercedes was removed from the scene.