Boy dies after crash on M6 motorway
AN eight-year-old boy from Leicester has been killed in a crash on the M6.
Dev Naran was pronounced dead at the scene after being involved in a crash between a lorry and a red Toyota Yaris car on Thursday night.
The car is believed to have stopped on the hard shoulder between Junctions 6 and 5 on the southbound near Birmingham when it was hit by the lorry.
It happened 7.30pm.
West Midlands Police said two other people in the car were taken to hospital with serious injuries.
A man in his 60s was treated for a suspected fractured shoulder and a woman, in her 20s, was treated for a leg injury. They were both taken to Birmingham’s Heartlands Hospital.
Paramedics said they rushed to the scene to find the boy’s heart had stopped. Tragically, nothing could be done to save him.
West Midlands Ambulance Service sent two ambulances, a paramedic officer and a Medical Emergency Response Intervention Team trauma doctor to the scene.
A spokesman for the service said: “Crews arrived to find three patients, all of whom had been travelling in the car.
“The boy was found to be in cardiac arrest and ambulance staff immediately began CPR.
“Unfortunately, it quickly became apparent nothing could be done to save him and he was confirmed at about dead at the scene.”
Dev’s heartbroken parents have described him as a “kind and compassionate angel”.
In a statement, they said: “He excelled at school and wanted to become a doctor. He looked after his brother Neel, who suffered brain damage at birth. He was a big sports fan and loved Leicester City.
“Dev was the most perfect son in every way.”
Sergeant Alan Wood, from the West Midlands Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “Our thoughts are with Dev’s family who have asked for privacy at this very difficult time.”
He confirmed that the hard shoulder of the motorway was being used as a “running lane” as part of the smart motorway scheme at the time of the crash.
Sgt Wood added that the injured man and woman “remain in a stable condition”.
The motorway was closed for several hours while the scene was examined by crash investigators and the vehicles were removed.
West Midlands Police are appealing for witnesses to the incident to get in touch. They said in a statement: “We were alerted to a collision between a lorry and a red Toyota Yaris, which is believed to have stopped on the hard shoulder between Junctions 6 and 5 southbound.
“The youngster, from Leicester, was pronounced dead at the scene and a number of other occupants of the car were taken to hospital with serious injuries.
“The motorway was closed for a number of hours while the road was made safe following the collision, which happened at around 7.30pm.
“A 62-year-old lorry driver from Hampshire was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and later released pending further investigation.”
Sgt Wood said: “I would urge anyone who witnessed the crash, in particular anyone with dash cam footage to get in touch.”
To report anything, call 101 and ask for West Midlands Police.