Woman dies as cars collide at blackspot

Source: Worcestershire
Date: January 24, 2003

A WOMAN has been killed in a horrific accident at a notorious junction on one of Worcestershire's most dangerous roads.

The woman, who has not yet been identified, was pronounced dead at the scene, shortly after the accident occurred at noon yesterday.

She was driving a silver Daewoo Lanos, which was involved in a collision with a red Toyota MR2, at the Old Worcester Road junction on the northbound carriageway of the A449.

The male driver of the Toyota was cut out by firefighters and airlifted to Worcestershire Royal Hospital with serious injuries. A female passenger was taken by land ambulance to the same hospital.

Road safety improvements are due to be carried out in April on the A449 junction with Hartlebury village.

"It's been an accident blackspot for many years," said Sub Officer Russell Broadbent of Kidderminster's White Watch.

He added that the rescue operation was relatively straightforward.

"From our point of view it wasn't that difficult. The male driver of the Toyota was trapped mainly by his injuries. We removed the door and prepared ourselves if we needed to remove the roof to open it out, but that didn't happen to be necessary.

"We had quite a difficult job extricating the lady from the Daewoo. It's very sad."

A pump from Stourport-on-Severn and the emergency tender from Worcester also attended the scene.

The road was closed in both directions until around 2.50pm while the vehicles were recovered and the accident investigation unit from the Hindlip headquarters carried out tests on the road.

The identification of the woman driver is due to take place sometime today.