Motorist in M54 crash airlifted to hospital

A driver was flown to hospital after his car left the motorway in South Staffordshire, causing miles of tailbacks and hours of delays for drivers.

Police were forced to close the M54 after the car left the carriageway, coming to rest on the hard shoulder.

Drivers faced delays of around one-a-half hours after the accident on the eastbound carriageway between junction two at Coven and junction three at Albrighton.

The motorway was closed in both directions for around half an hour after the Midland Air Ambulance was scrambled to the scene at 3.05pm.

A man was flown to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham and the westbound carriageway opened after the helicopter took off.

However the inside lane and hard shoulder of the eastbound carriageway motorway remained shut and four-mile tailbacks built up until the car was recovered more than three hours after the smash.

Relatives who had been travelling with the injured man were taken to hospital by land ambulance. His injuries are not now believed to be life-threatening.

The accident affected thousands of people attending the Weston Park Transport Show as well as people travelling back to the West Midlands from north Wales following the Easter break.