Motorist dies in head-on crash as snow brings chaos to roads

A BMW driver was killed in a crash on an icy road yesterday as motorists were urged to take care following this week’s springtime snowfall.

The 28-year-old died when his vehicle collided head-on with a lorry on the A1 near Felton, Northumberland, at 1.30am.

It was one of several weather-related incidents in the North East when the region became blanketed by snow.

Seven cars were towed away following a multiple-vehicle pile-up on the A1 near Washington Services around 6am. Two people received seriously injuries.

In County Durham, the fire service warned of black ice and slush on the A1M near Chester-le-street following several accidents.

The Met Office issued a yellow weather alert for snow in Wales yesterday morning and warned that rain and sleet would affect drivers in the West Midlands. Commuters in the South East faced delays on the railways because of the cold weather.

Forecasters said rain could hit northern and western parts of Britain today, with brighter conditions elsewhere.

On the first day of Aintree yesterday, bad weather forced the Red Devils parachute team to abandon plans to land on the famous course to mark the start of the festival. Meanwhile, a specialist team at the racecourse was recruited to prevent drones straying near helicopters arriving with VIPS for tomorrow’s Grand National. Drones have blighted horse racing events lately, with criminals also flying them over courses to give gamblers an unfair advantage.