Driver dies in M6 crash
A driver was killed on the M6 today when his car crashed into a lorry in Staffordshire, closing the motorway between two junctions.
Motorists were caught up in four-mile tailbacks and delays of up to an hour in the aftermath of the smash, which happened just before Junction 11a for Cannock.
The victim's blue Vauxhall Astra collided with a lorry at 3.40am on the southbound stretch before bursting into flames.
He was cut free from the wreckage by firefighters but confirmed dead at the scene.
The tragedy led to police closing the southbound stretch of the motorway completely between Junctions 12 for Gailey and 11a, causing chaos for commuters and congestion on surrounding roads.
The Highways Agency said the A5 was suffering delays of at "least 15 minutes" because it was being used to divert drivers away from the motorway.
The A5 westbound, A449, and M54 east were also suffering delays as motorists used the route to rejoin the M6 at Junction 10a.
The M6 was expected to be closed until midday while Staffordshire Police and specialist officers from the Central Motorway Police Group carried out a reconstruction of the crash.
Highways Agency spokeswoman Jenny Hart said: "The closure of the southbound carriageway has led to delays of around an hour between Junctions 12 and 13 heading southbound, as well as delays of at least 15 minutes on the A5.
"In terms of the tailbacks, on the M6 it stretched back around four miles. The nearby A roads are able to cope with the extra traffic spilling out so the congestion is fairly isolated to the motorway, but before people are able to leave the M6 they are having to wait in those tailbacks."
Firefighters attended the scene as well as three ambulances. The lorry driver and his female passenger were uninjured.
