It has been revealed that five men were killed and 16 people injured, during a weekend of chaos on a West Midland road.
Three passengers in a Peugot 406 vehicle died in a car accident when a Ford Fusion collided into them. The Ford had been travelling in the wrong direction along the M6.
The tragedy on the M6 happened at 5.50am at the end of May, on the southbound carriageway at Junction 8 at the link with the M5.
As a result, the police shut the normally busy motorway between Junction 8 and Junction 7 for Great Barr in both directions for seven hours, while investigations were carried out.
The passengers in the Peugot were killed instantly and their driver taken to Sandwell General Hospital with serious
personal injuries.
The lone driver of the Ford Fusin also died at the scene. Officers are tracing the movements of this driver to discover how he ended up heading in the wrong way.
Chief Inspector of West Midlands Central Motorway Police, Mr Bal Sidhu said: "This is a horrific collision. We don't know the reasons why the driver of the Fusion drove the wrong way down the motorway."
The victims were aged between 20 and 40 but police said they would not yet reveal their identities, until more details were discovered.
Meanwhile, another accident injured nine people after a bus and a 4x4 crashed in Birmingham. Six of those injured, were taken to hospital after the incident in Bordesley Green shortly before 2.40pm, also at the end of May.
In addition, a lorry driver died in a horrific smash, which closed the M6 for more than seven hours on 29th May. The 27-year-old victim, believed to be German, was pronounced dead at the scene on the northbound carriageway between Junctions 8 and 9 following the crash at 12.30am.
Fire officers using cutting equipment worked through the early hours to remove the man's body from the vehicle.
Birmingham named as car accident hot spot
With reports of
car accidents rising in the city, it is little wonder that Birmingham has been named as the hotspot for car crashes, in Britain.
It is estimated that one in five drivers are involved in a collision throughout the area, according to a recent car insurance survey.
In particular, Broad Street in the city centre, Soho Road and the Aston Expressway were among the top five streets in the city where motorists are most likely to experience an accident.
The study also displayed what makes British driver's tempers flare. Lack of parking spaces, frustrating one way systems and traffic-clogging congestion were all ways of driving 75% of motorists to despair.
More than two thirds of those asked stated that they detested driving in their home town. One in ten drivers has had a crash near their home, with men more likely than women to suffer a collision.
The Midlands proved to be the prime location for bumper car behavior, with a fifth of motorists having damaged their car in the region.
Pete Markey, from the insurance firm, which conducted the research, said: "Taking a little time out to research even the simplest of journeys can save a great deal of angst behind the wheel."
