Motorist fighting for life after driving wrong way down Birmingham's Aston Expressway
A car travelling the wrong way down Birmingham's Aston Expressway collided with two other vehicles this afternoon, leaving the driver fighting for his life.
Police were called at 12.30pm to reports of the accident, after a 43-year-old who was travelling the wrong way, was taken to hospital with life threatening injuries.
The motorist was headed into Birmingham city centre on the outbound carriageway.
When ambulance crews arrived at the scene they found the driver in cardiac arrest with bystanders carrying out CPR.
After treating him at the scene, paramedics took him to the Major Trauma Centre at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham.
An air ambulance also attended the scene, the crew of which travelled on board the ambulance with the patient, providing advanced medical treatment while en-route to hospital.
The driver of the second car suffered a fractured collar bone and finger and was taken to City Hospital.
The driver of the third car suffered minor injuries and was treated and discharged at the scene.
A fourth patient who had not been directly involved in the collision, was also treated at the scene after becoming unwell, and taken to City Hospital.
The Expressway takes motorists into and out of Birmingham from Spaghetti Junction, was closed for three hours while investigators worked at the scene.
Pc Damian Gibson said: "We can confirm that one car was travelling the wrong way along the Expressway and we are still trying to ascertain why that was.
"We are now appealing to anyone who was in the area and saw the collision to come forward.
"A man was taken to hospital with life threatening injuries and at this stage we are still trying to contact his family to make them aware."
It is believed other motorists who witnessed the accident may have gone to help people in the cars.
Conservative Councillor Jonathan Yardley of the Tettenhall Regis Ward, witnessed the crash firsthand.
He said: "Three cars all seemed to hit each other at the end of the A38 leading up to Spaghetti Junction.
"It's lucky that the lorry drivers were on hand so quickly to extinguish the flames.
"The Expressway was at a complete standstill, it stopped it dead."
Crews from Aston and Ward End fire station attended the scene.
