Was M6 killer crash driver on his phone?
Four women and a man die after lorry rams into their car
POLICE are investigating whether the driver of a lorry that ploughed into a car on a motorway leaving five people dead had been using his mobile phone.
A sixth person is fighting for his life after the smash on the M6 yesterday.
All six victims were crammed into a five- seat Nissan Micra, which was crushed in the accident.
Four of the dead in the small hatchback were women. The survivor, a man in his forties, was rushed to hospital with ‘multiple serious injuries’.
The 60-year-old trucker from the West Midlands was uninjured, and was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.
Police said their investigation would look at several possible causes, including the ‘use of mobile devices’.
The motorway was closed southbound in Staffordshire between junctions 15 and 14 near Stoke following the crash at 4.30am near Seighford, causing chaos on other roads.
Delays stretched back to junction 16 and motorists were urged to follow diversions or look for alternative routes.
Many were trapped for hours in the tailback. Police eventually cut the barrier on the central reservation to allow vehicles to join the northbound section.
Rescue crews, including three doctors, tried to save the occupants of the blue Nissan.
Firefighters cut off the roof and doors so rescuers could get to them. A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: ‘When emergency services arrived they discovered a car with six occupants which had been involved in a significant collision with an HGV.
‘ Sadly, it quickly became apparent that nothing could be done to save the driver and four passengers. All five were confirmed dead on scene.
‘The sixth occupant, a man in his forties, suffered multiple serious injuries and received advanced trauma care by the team of medics at the scene.
‘Once stabilised, the man was taken to Royal Stoke University Hospital for further care.’
A Staffordshire Police spokesman said: ‘ The lorry driver involved in this collision has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. The man has been taken into custody for questioning.
‘Four females and a male, all believed to be adults, died in the car. We are trying to trace their next of kin and formal ID has not been done. A sixth person was taken to hospital and his condition is described as serious but stable.’
A colleague added: ‘The vehicles were recovered for a forensic examination. There will be various lines of enquiry followed to establish what’s happened.
‘Use of mobile devices will be covered in the investigation.’
The carriageway was reopened at 1pm – eight and a half hours after the crash.
The severe gridlock was made worse by a crash involving several lorries between junctions 11A and 12 of the motorway.
Two lanes were closed between the exits for the M6 toll and Gailey at around the same time after the lorries collided, causing delays back to junction 1.
With its End The Mobile Madness campaign, the Daily Mail has led the way in highlighting the danger of drivers who risk the lives of others by using their mobile phones at the wheel.
Lorry driver Tomasz Kroker was jailed for ten years in November last year after causing the deaths of four people in a crash while using his phone.
Under tougher rules introduced in March, drivers face six points on their licence and a £200 fine if caught using a mobile phone while driving – double the previous punishment.