Three dead in accidents on Shropshire’s A49

Wednesday 14th September 2011, 3:00PM BST.

The accident scene on the A49 between Marshbrook and Craven Arms today

Three people have died after two separate crashes on Shropshire’s A49 in the space of 24 hours.

The male driver of a van and female driver of a car died after their vehicles collided while travelling in opposite directions between Marshbrook and Wistanstow at about 9.45am today.

The van driver was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash at Felhampton, while the woman died shortly after arriving at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital. Both drivers suffered cardiac arrest, said West Midlands Ambulance Service.

And a 93-year-old woman has died after the car she was travelling in as a passenger was involved in a collision just south of Bayston Hill at about 2.30pm yesterday.

The driver of the car, believed to be her husband, remains in a critical condition at Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

None of the victims have yet been named by police, and an appeal for witnesses to both collisions has been made.

The stretch of road between Marshbrook and Wistanstow is expected to remain closed for much of today. The A49 between Dobbies island on the outskirts of Shrewsbury and Church Stretton was also closed for several hours yesterday but reopened before the morning rush hour.

At both incidents the victims had to be cut free from their vehicles by firefighters and two air ambulances attended each incident.

Speaking today a West Mercia Police spokesman asked anyone with information about the incidents to call police on 0300 333 3000 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

Firefighters had to cut one person free following the incident on the A41 at Prees Heath, near Whitchurch.

View more: A49 news, Bayston Hill news, Shrewsbury news.