Motorway re-opens after fatal crash

The motorway was closed in both directions by the crash

A stretch of the M6 motorway has re-opened following a crash in Staffordshire which killed four people.

Drivers of a lorry, van and two cars died at the scene of the accident on Wednesday just before 1200 BST.

It's the first time I've ever seen, in my long experience, a stretch of crash barrier pushed across on a carriageway like this has

Bob Lee, Staffordshire Ambulance Service

The motorway between Keele services and junction 16 - the Stoke-on-Trent turn-off - re-opened to traffic in the early hours of Thursday.

A lorry travelling south crashed through the central reservation, colliding with a van and two cars travelling in the opposite direction.

The victims, who were all male, have not yet been named.

A number of other people were injured in the crash, said police.

A child caught up in the traffic jam following the accident was flown to hospital by air ambulance after being taken ill, but was not involved in the crash.

'Severe wreckage'

Bob Lee, of the Staffordshire Ambulance Service, said: "It's the first time I've ever seen, in my long experience, a stretch of crash barrier pushed across on a carriageway like this has, it was just staggering.

"We had a situation where we weren't sure whether one or two cars were involved due to the severe wreckage."

The road was initially closed in both directions between junctions 16 and 15 (Crewe) for nearly seven hours and queues stretched back for 12 miles south of the accident to junction 14, the turning for Stafford, and 10 miles northbound to junction 18, the Holmes Chapel turn-off.

One carriageway was partially re-opened just after 1800 BST.

A large section of the central reservation was which was damaged in the crash had to be repaired before the road could be completely re-opened.