A man was today airlifted to hospital in a critical condition after his car overturned on the M54, causing huge tailbacks in Shropshire.

He was taken to the trauma unit at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire with serious head and chest injuries. His woman passenger, who was trapped upside down, was airlifted to Birmingham’s Selly Oak Hospital. She had head, chest and arm injuries.

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The pair had to be cut free from their silver coloured car by firefighters after the crash between Junction Two, at Coven Heath, and Junction Three, at Tong.

It left the motorway closed in both directions. Vehicles backed up into Shropshire and the West Midlands for several miles.

Police later allowed drivers travelling towards Wolverhampton to use the hard shoulder and re-opened the eastbound carriageway but the westbound carriageway and Junction Three remained closed for several hours.

Firefighters from Wellington, Albrighton, Tettenhall, Fallings Park and Featherstone in Wolverhampton, as well as crews from Codsall Wood, Brewood and Stafford, were sent to the scene. They freed the driver and passenger from the car in just under an hour.

Two air ambulances and a land ambulance, as well as a medic and a rapid response vehicle, also attended.

Murray MacGregor, spokesman for West Midlands Ambulance Service, said: “A male in his 30s, who is described as being in a critical condition, was anaesthetised on scene by the doctor.

“He has serious head and chest injuries. He was taken to the trauma centre at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire in Stoke-on-Trent.

“A passenger, a female believed to be aged 31, was taken to Selly Oak trauma centre. She was trapped for a while face down.”

Witness Wayne Metcalfe, of Telford, said: “All we could see was a big cloud of smoke. An ambulance arrived and an air ambulance arrived. About five minutes later another air ambulance arrived.”

Businessmen Allan Cunningham, 45, of Shrewsbury, was stuck on the westbound carriageway since 11.30am.

He said: “The traffic was stopped solid. People turned off their engines and were getting out and stretching their legs.”