Trucker dies after M-way smash with coach carrying party of fruit pickers

West Midlands Police said the 65-year-old haulier, from Somerset, died shortly after 9pm on Saturday at a Birmingham hospital following the accident.

The driver of the bus, which was reported to have broken down amid thick fog in a “live” lane of the M5 near Frankley Services, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and has been released on police bail.

Officers said the lorry driver was en-route from Manchester to Devon when his Volvo vehicle struck the single-deck bus, which was not fitted with seat belts, near to junction three of the M5 at Halesowen.

The driver’s side of the lorry’s cab was left embedded in the rear nearside of the coach following the collision, which also left debris strewn across the carriageway.

Signs warning road users of fog in the area had been active since 4.46am.

Police said a 999 call had been made by a concerned member of the public about a coach having broken down on lane one of the M5 south and the Highways Agency issued warning notices for motorway signs to alert drivers to the danger.

Ten minutes later, however, a call was received by police to say a large goods vehicle had collided with the rear of the coach.

The driver, whose family had travelled from the south-west to be with him in hospital, has yet to be named by police.

Emergency crews treated more than 20 bus passengers, who were being driven from Birmingham to the Evesham area.

A 35-year-old man from the Smethwick area who had been travelling on the bus was confirmed dead at the scene and another passenger remains in a critical condition.

The southbound M5 was closed for around eight hours and a detailed investigation into the cause of the collision was under way.

Inspector John Thompson, from the Central Motorway Police Group, said: “This tragic incident has now claimed its second life.

“Our thoughts remain with the friends and family of those who have died during this difficult time.”

A dedicated hotline for concerned relatives which opened in the immediate aftermath of the incident has closed, but police have revealed that embassy officials called the service offering support to any foreign nationals involved in the crash.