UK NEWS

FAMILY OF FIVE KILLED IN M6 HORROR

SCENE: A view of the M6, south of Sandbach services, where the family died

Tuesday October 21,2008

By Nicola McCafferty for express.co.uk

A FAMILY of five were killed in one of a series of horrific motorway crashes last night.

The five victims - three young children and their parents - died on the M6 in Cheshire when their car burst into flames following a motorway pile-up.

Their car collided with three heavy goods lorries and two cars at around 10.40pm.

They were pronounced dead at the scene when they were discovered on the north-bound carriageway between junction 16 at Barthomley and junction 17 for Sandbach.

Police have arrested a foreign lorry driver on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.

He is believed to be Spanish and in his 40s. He will later be questioned through an interpreter.

The tragedy followed a fatal crash one junction further along the same section of motorway, which had caused tailbacks, police said.

A police spokeswoman said: “Upon impact, one of the cars ignited and is very badly burnt.

“From that vehicle police believe they have recovered what appears to be five bodies. These are thought to be two adults and three young children.”

The earlier crash happened just before 9pm and involved a white van which hit a bridge parapet.

The driver, a man in his 30s, died in the crash, which happened between junctions 17 and 18.

Cheshire Police said the M6 reopened at about 7.20am this morning and was flowing but “a little more congested than usual”.

There was another crash at 5am today when a car travelling north on the M6 crossed the central reservation and hit a van heading south, a spokesman for the Highways Agency said.

Nobody is thought to have suffered life-threatening injuries.

He said the motorway would remain closed between junctions 15 and 14 until the vehicles are recovered.

Emergency resurfacing work was carried out between junctions 16 and 18 northbound after the two fatal crashes, he added.