A man has died and a woman has been rushed to hospital with critical injuries after a car crashed into railings in Birmingham in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Details of the incident
Emergency services were called to the scene on the A34, near the junction with the A45, at around 2:30am on Sunday. The vehicle, a silver Ford Fiesta, had left the road and collided with railings.
The man, who was the driver, was pronounced dead at the scene. The woman, a passenger, was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham with life-threatening injuries. Her condition is described as critical but stable.
Police investigation
West Midlands Police have launched an investigation into the circumstances of the crash. Officers are appealing for witnesses or anyone with dashcam footage to come forward.
Detective Sergeant Paul Hughes, from the force's Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: "This is a tragic incident that has resulted in the loss of a life and left another person fighting for her life. We are working to establish exactly what happened and would urge anyone who saw the collision or the moments leading up to it to contact us."
Road closures and impact
The A34 was closed in both directions for several hours while emergency services worked at the scene and collision investigators examined the area. The road has since reopened.
Local residents reported hearing a loud bang and then seeing the aftermath of the crash. One resident, who did not want to be named, said: "It was a horrible sound. I looked out and saw the car had smashed into the railings. It's so sad."
Police have not yet released the name of the deceased, pending formal identification and notification of next of kin.
Anyone with information is asked to contact West Midlands Police on 101, quoting log number 123 of 19 March.
