Chaos as crash drama shuts M6; Traffic alert for FA Cup clash.

Byline: By Leda Reynolds

A LORRY driver smashed through a central reservation on the M6 in the Midlands today and plunged 40ft down an embankment, stopping just feet from an electricity sub station.

The HGV driver, who has not been named, is believed to have suffered only a cut hand following the horrific smash near Great Barr which happened at around 2.30am, threatening traffic chaos for weekend drivers - and thousands of fans heading north to the FA Cup semifinal between Chelsea and Liverpool at Old Trafford this afternoon.

The drama unfolded after the man collided with another HGV which had broken down and was awaiting recovery on the northbound carriageway of the M6 between Junctions 8 and 9.

Highways Agency chiefs say after colliding with the lorry the driver lost control of his vehicle which smashed through the central reservation, crossed the southbound carriageway and plunged down the embankment.

Traffic chaos loomed as the M6 was closed in both directions shortly after the crash. "Fortunately, he did not collide with any other motorists on the southbound carriageway," said a spokesman for the Highways Agency, which is dealing with the crash.

"I understand the driver was treated at the scene by an ambulance crew for a cut hand.

"The problem we've got now is recovering the vehicle.

"It's unusual for a lorry to travel so far down an embankment and it is also near an electrical sub-station which has made the recovery more difficult as we don't want it to travel any further down. We've got two HGVs with cranes on the back which we're using to try and winch the lorry. We had to close both lanes because if one of the high tension cables snapped they act like a whip and they could fly up."

He said the lorry had been pulled to a certain point on the embankment where even if the cables snapped, it would not pose a danger.

"We had opened the northbound carriage at 7.55am with a 50mph speed restriction and were hoping to have two lanes of the southbound carriageway open by 11am," said the spokesman.

He said they were working as quickly as possible to re-open the motorway fully as a large volume of traffic was expected for the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Chelsea at Old Trafford due to kick off at 5.15pm.

"We expect a lot of fans to travel up from London," he said.

"Our main concern is trying to get them through the West Midlands motorway network as smoothly as possible.

"Now we've opened the northbound carriageway, at least the fans will be able to get to the match, leaving us with a few extra hours to sort out the southbound carriageway for their return journey which we're hoping to have fully reopen by mid afternoon."

Police have launched an investigation into the crash and are expected to study the lorry's tachograph for vital information on speed and mileage.

CAPTION(S):

WRECKAGE... the scene on the M6 near Great Barr today. Picture: Loretta Brennan