An elderly man was killed and two people were airlifted to hospital in a spate of accidents on Shropshire’s roads.The victim, believed to be in his 70s, was declared dead at the scene of the accident on the A41 at Rosehill, near Market Drayton, last night after a lorry and car collided.

Meanwhile, two people were today cut free from their vehicles in a crash near Bridgnorth.

They were airlifted to hospital after the head-on smash on the B4555 Bridgnorth to Highley road in Chelmarsh.

The victim of the crash near Market Drayton is believed to be from the Walsall area and was driving a silver Mazda 323 which collided with an articulated lorry.

Firefighters from Market Drayton and Hodnet, as well as the rescue tender from Wellington and the incident commander from Shrewsbury, were sent to the scene.

Sub-officer Roger Smith, from Market Drayton fire station, said crews had to cut the doors and roof off the Mazda, to allow paramedics access to the man.

Phil Eardley, who owns Rosehill Manor Hotel, about 300 yards from the scene, said he believed the Mazda had been travelling from the Newport direction and the lorry the opposite way.

Susie Fothergill, West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman, said: “Despite the best efforts of the ambulance crew, the man was confirmed dead at the scene.”

In Chelmarsh today a silver Mitsubishi estate car and a blue Mitsubishi Shogun collided at about 8.45am near to the Kings Arms public house.

Air ambulances from Cosford and Strensham were sent to the scene, as well as four land ambulances, a rapid response vehicle, fire crews from Bridgnorth and Cleobury Mortimer and police officers.

The female driver of the estate car was flown to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, and the male driver of the Shogun was airlifted to Selly Oak Hospital, in Birmingham, with a suspected fractured pelvis.

In separate incidents a woman was left needing hospital treatment after her red Rover car overturned on the eastbound carriageway of the A5 near Junction 7 of the M54 at about 1am today.

And there was a two-car crash at crossroads on the A5 near Oswestry at about 3.30pm yesterday.