Driver killed and boy hurt in day of crashes across region

The driver of a silver convertible Vauxhall suffered a fatal heart attack after he was flung from his car in a head-on collision on the A5 near Cannock at 11.20am on Saturday.

The fatal crash on the A5 near Norton Canes led to the six-hour closure of a stretch of road between the B4154 Norton Canes and the M6 Toll near Cannock.

Earlier in the day two police officers were rushed to hospital after their patrol car veered off the road and plunged down a 9ft verge in Brownhills just before 4am.

A male officer who was driving the car, thought to be in his late 20s, suffered neck and back injuries and had to be cut from the vehicle.

He was trapped for about 45 minutes before he was freed and taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham for further emergency treatment.

A woman officer, also believed to be in her 20s, was out of the vehicle when paramedics arrived and was treated at the scene for neck, back, wrist and suspected pelvic injuries.

She was taken to the University Hospital North Staffordshire Major Trauma Unit for further treatment.

Neither is thought to have suffered life-changing or life-threatening injuries.

Pelsall Road was closed for around six hours as investigations took place and the car was recovered.

Later Chuckery Primary School pupil Kaden Wallace, aged eight, suffered serious leg injuries when he was hit by a car along Broadway in Walsall.

He was taken to Birmingham Children's Hospital for surgery at around 11.25am.

The road was closed, with football fans travelling to the Banks's Stadium for the match between Walsall and Coventry told to use alternative routes, but reopened shortly after.

Kaden's mother Karen Smith, of the Broadway, said her son suffered a broken fibia and tibia, and needed a skin graft operation at 11pm on Saturday to close the wound. He had been taken to Birmingham Children's Hospital by ambulance straight after the crash.

Relatives said Kaden, who has a purple belt in kickboxing, was in shock after the accident and was talking to witnesses before receiving pain relief.

His mother said: "Two rods have been put in the leg and he has had a large skin graft taken from below the knee to close the wound.

"There was a lady called Kristina Swadling there the whole time who was an absolute angel. Kaden said she helped him so much.

"I was in surgery myself at Walsall Manor on Sunday for keyhole shoulder surgery so was not able to stay with him but his sister Kiara stayed with him.

"The paramedics couldn't believe how brave he was."

Meanwhile a motorcyclist, believed to be in his 20s, was seriously injured in a crash between his bike and a car in Unity Place in Oldbury at around 11am.

He received emergency treatment at the scene including receiving pain relief and being immobilised using a spinal board and neck collar.

He was taken to Sandwell Hospital for further emergency treatment.

The people in the car were not hurt in the crash.

The first serious accident of the day took place in Halesowen Road in Cradley Heath at about 12.45am with firefighters having to free a man, also believed to be in his 20s, who was trapped after being hit by a car.

He is thought to have suffered pelvic and facial injuries and was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital by ambulance.

Motorists were caught up in hours of delays along the busy A5 following the fatal smash near Cannock on Saturday morning.

A man in his 70s driving a blue Hyundai that was involved in the collision also suffered cuts to his head and was in shock.

He was taken to New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton for further treatment.

A third car containing a family of four - including two children – was also hit in the smash but no one was injured.

Formal identification of the dead man is yet to take place and specially-trained family liaison officers from Staffordshire Police are working with his family.

Floral tributes have been left at the scene of the fatal crash.

Both carriageways of the A5 were closed.

Witnesses to any of the smashes are asked to call police on the hotline number 101.