Thirty cars crash as rain turns to ice

A DOZEN motorists were taken to hospital after 30 cars got involved in pile-ups in icy conditions on a north Lincolnshire road yesterday.

Both carriageways of the A15 became littered with vehicles that had run into each other or off the road after rain turned into ice as it hit the frozen road surface.

One motorist said drivers were running onto the embankments to get out of the way as other cars careered in their direction.

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He said: "I saw two cars skidding and I braked, and just carried on. I took my foot off the brake and hit the barrier but was facing the wrong way. A car came towards me. I opened the door – it was just bang, bang, bang... That was it people were running onto the embankments to get away."

Police took the first call at 6.41am after a car hit the central barrier between the Barnetby Top interchange and the turn off for the B1206.

About a quarter of a mile north of Bonby Lodge on the southbound carriageway, at least four vehicles skidded. Two further collisions then occurred on the northbound carriageway, leaving one lane blocked.

Inspector Paul Sergeant said the stretch was prone to icing, when others were passable and just damp.

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North Lincolnshire Council said the rain had arrived earlier than forecast, washing away grit that had been laid the previous night.

A statement added: "Even if the road had been gritted again, the rain would have washed it away as it did with the salt that was still there."

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