A man has died and a woman is fighting for her life following a horror crash in which a car was "sent airborne".
The man, who was a passenger in the red Mazda, was killed when his car smashed into a silver Mercedes at around 7pm last night.
Police said the man in his sixties suffered horrendous injuries in the crash and died at the scene, while his wife was understood to be seriously injured but in a stable condition in hospital.
The driver of the Mercedes was also taken to hospital and they are both understood to remain in a stable condition after the crash in Birmingham.
Shocking images pictures show the wreckage of the overturned Mazda, while the Mercedes can be seen around 50m further away in parkland, on the other side of the seven-lane A-road, one of the busiest in Britain's second city.
Emergency services were called to the A45 Coventry Road in the Yardley area of the city on Friday, with the road only reopening shortly after 10am this morning.
Describing the crash as "very serious", West Midlands Police told locals: “Our priorities are caring for the people involved and identifying their loved ones.”
A shop worker described the scene as "absolute carnage" and said the Mazda was "sent airborne".
He said: "I've never seen anything like it. How anyone could get out of the red car is beyond me.
"This road is like a race track at the best of times. It's just so sad."
Another eyewitness said they were left shaken by the “horrendous” smash.
They said: “I’ve lived here 10 years and that's the worst incident I’ve ever seen. It’s shaken me up.
“My son saw one car land on its roof. The other car was in Pocket Park, which is a little walk-through, a patch of grass. I called the emergency services myself.
"There were three fire engines, three ambulances, two fast response cars and around a dozen police cars blocking the road.
“They were working very hard. There was a buzz of people.”
The road was set to remain closed this morning with forensics combing for clues. Detectives were also trying to retrieve footage of the crash.
Police said in a statement: “We're working hard to understand what has happened.
“We have already spoken to some people who saw what happened and have started to identify CCTV cameras that may have recorded the crash.
“If you live or work in the area, please check your CCTV, dash cam and doorbell footage. Do not share these images online. Please think of the people affected.”
DS Chris Ridge from West Midlands Police said: "Our investigations into this collision are still in the early stages, and we are working to identify exactly what happened in the moments leading to the tragic death of this man.
“His family are being supported by specialist officers as they come to terms with this terrible news.
“We also want to thank everyone for their patience as the road was closed for sometime over night. They have all since re-opened.
“We are urging anyone with information, who witnessed the crash or who saw either the white Mercedes or red Mazda in the moments beforehand. If you have dash cam or CCTV footage, we also urge you to contact us.”
