Lorry passenger dies on M6

A passenger in a lorry cab has died after suffering a cardiac arrest while travelling along the M6 in Staffordshire.

The driver pulled over between junctions 12 for Gailey and 11A, for the M6 Toll at 2.20pm yesterday.

The southbound carriageway was closed for two hours by police to allow an air ambulance to land. Another four people were injured in crashes in the West Midlands.

Meanwhile, five people have been taken to hospital after a series of accidents. A woman was hurt when two cars collided in Norton Canes, while a man and woman in their 70s had to be cut from a wrecked car.

They were airlifted to hospital with serious injuries after the two-car crash on the A454 at Worfield, near Wolverhampton.

Their green Suzuki was in collision with a Mercedes. Its driver, a man in his 60s, also had to be cut free and was taken to Wolverhampton's New Cross Hospital.

The Norton Canes accident, in Burntwood Road at 8.20am yesterday, involved a Renault Megane and a Ford Fusion. It happened close to Norton Canes High School.

The Ford Fusion driver was not injured but the Renault driver was taken to Walsall Manor Hospital with neck injuries which were not life threatening.

Meanwhile, a taxi driver was taken to hospital after his vehicle collided with a Peugeot before careering into a bus shelter in Walsall.

The taxi driver, believed to be in his 40s, was stretchered from the vehicle and taken to Walsall Manor Hospital with suspected spinal injuries.

Police closed the road in both directions, causing severe tailbacks, after the accident in the Sergeants Hill area of Birmingham Road at around 2.30pm yesterday.

A 300-yard stretch of the carriageway was closed until 5.10pm.