Two dead in road gritter crash

The injured were taken to Hull Royal Infirmary

Two men have been killed and six others injured in a head-on collision between a minibus and a road gritter.

Humberside Police said the vehicles were involved in a collision shortly after 0530 GMT on Friday in Barrow-upon-Humber, North Lincolnshire.

The accident occurred on College Road and the victims were declared dead at the scene.

The minibus was being used by workers from KFM recruitment consultancy in Hull who were on their way to work at Immingham Docks.

Head-on crash

A police spokeswoman said two people were seriously injured and four people suffered minor injuries.

The LDV Convoy minibus was travelling from Barrow towards Thornton Curtis, when it crossed in to the opposite carriageway.

It was in collision with a Volvo FL7 gritter lorry travelling in the opposite direction.

All the injured were taken to Hull Royal Infirmary.

Police are recovering the crashed vehicles

The driver of the gritter lorry, a 47-year-old north Lincolnshire man, suffered shock and whiplash injuries.

The driver of the minibus, a 28-year-old Hull man, suffered pelvic injuries, and is in hospital in a comfortable condition.

A 53-year-old man is being assessed by doctors, a 40-year-old suffered a chipped spine, and a 64-year-old sustained minor neck injuries.

The road remained closed on Friday afternoon while officers investigate the accident, and tried to recover the gritter lorry.

Inspector Mark Flannagan of Humberside Police said the weather conditions played their part in the tragedy.

Ice warning

He said: "The conditions were very icy and very treacherous and that is why the gritting lorry was out.

"I'd like to take this opportunity to warn other motorists at this time of year to treat all roads as if they weren't gritted and drive accordingly.

"Hopefully, we can then avoid these types of tragedies in the future."

The dead men have still to be identified.