Driver injured in smash with lorry on M54

A driver suffered serious injuries today after his car collided with a lorry on the M54 near Wolverhampton.

The accident closed the carriageway in both directions and caused long tailbacks along the A449 and A41 as diversions were put in place.

Click on the image on the right to see more pictures from the scene

Motorists queued for more than six miles along Wergs Road in Wolverhampton, as far back as The Crown pub.

The crash happened on the eastbound carriageway, between junction two for Wolverhampton and junction three at Albrighton, shortly before 9.50am.

The westbound carriageway was also closed for around an hour to allow the Midland Air Ambulance from Cosford to land safely.

The man, in his 50s, was airlifted to the major trauma centre at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.

Unconfirmed reports suggest the man's car had been parked on the hard shoulder at the time of the crash.

West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman Chris Kowalik said the driver of the car had suffered a head injury, a broken right arm and a collapsed lung.

"He was anaesthetised at the scene, his chest decompressed and was immobilised with the use of a spinal board and neck collar and was flown to Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham. The hospital had been put on alert in anticipation of his arrival," he said.