Driver killed and woman badly hurt in smash near Wolverhampton

A second woman suffered minor injuries in the smash between an Audi A4 and a Ford Mondeo on the A458 at Wootton, Six Ashes.

Seventeen firefighters battled for almost an hour to free the two people from the wreckage of the black Mondeo. The accident happened on the approach to a bend on the A458 Stourbridge Road just before 2.45pm yesterday.

Three ambulances, a paramedic in a rapid response vehicle, a paramedic officer and two Midland Air Ambulances from Cosford and Strensham were sent to the scene.

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: "Despite the treatment given by medics, the male driver was confirmed dead at the scene. A woman passenger in the same car was treated for serious multiple injuries.

"She was anaesthetised by an air ambulance doctor before being airlifted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Her condition is described as critical. The female driver of the second vehicle was treated at the scene for minor injuries."

Fire crews from Bridgnorth, Cleobury Mortimer and Kinver and a rescue tender from Wellington were called to the scene. The road remained closed late into the night for police inquiries leading to heavy congestion during the rush hour.

Firefighter Rob Cornfield said: "It was a particularly serious incident and a lot of extracting techniques were involved. It was a stressful situation both physically and emotionally for all those involved."

Stourbridge Road has been the scene of numerous serious accidents.

Charalampos Iordanidis, who has been manager of Italian restaurant Tuscano, in Six Ashes, for six years, said there were two fatalities on the road last year. He said: "I believe the council is working on some sort of traffic system to slow people down along that road because there have been so many accidents."