A PENSIONER has died in hospital after his van crashed with a tanker on the A449, Kidderminster Road.

At 11.45am this morning, police were called when the white panel van ended up wedged in the front of the oil tanker.

Firefighters took 45 minutes to cut the driver of the van free before he was airlifted to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.

The Ambulance Service were also in attendance. A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “Crews arrived to find a van and a lorry that had been in a serious collision.

“The man driving the van suffered multiple serious injuries and was trapped in the vehicle.

“Advanced life support was carried out at the scene by medics and resuscitation attempts continued as the patient was airlifted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital Major Trauma Unit where a trauma team were on standby.

“Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of everyone at the scene and at hospital, nothing could be done to save the man and he was confirmed dead shortly after arriving at hospital.”

He was pronounced dead at 1.35pm.

The driver of the oil tanker had no reported injuries.

The road was closed in both directions from the Hoo Farm roundabout to the Droitwich turnoff with collision investigators working at the scene. It is now reopen to traffic travelling both ways.

The police are appealing for witnesses to the incident who should contact West Mercia Police's Operation Policing Unit on the non-emergency number 101, quoting incident reference 221-S-250214.