Dramatic moment driver slams into cars queuing on A40 after 20-car pile-up which left one woman dead and two fighting for their lives
Reports of serious injuries as emergency services rush to the scene
DRAMATIC footage shows the moment a driver slammed into cars queued on the A40 in Oxfordshire after a woman died in a 20-car pile-up and two other were left fighting for their lives.
Thick fog and ice had created treacherous conditions on the busy road when cars collided at 8.25am today.
A woman was proclaimed dead at the scene, while two more people were taken to the major trauma unit at the nearby John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.
A spokesman for the ambulance service said a further ten to fifteen patients with minor injuries were treated at the scene.
There were several collisions along a 1,000m spread of the road, which has been described as "very icy".
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An ambulance service spokesman said the woman who died was in a car that had driven into the back of an HGV in the 2nd collision.
The spokesman said the car was "crushed beyond all recognition", but it is believed the woman was travelling with a man who survived the tragedy.
The road was closed in both directions inbetween Witney and Burford Road, with long queues forming. At about Two.30pm one lane westbound was reopened.
Pictures showcase the wreckage of cars involved in the crash with debris sprayed across the road.
Six vehicles were said to be badly bruised, with a further ten to fifteen involved.
Pregnant mother-of-two Ami Gaston, from Carterton, was in a car with her fucking partner when she witnessed the very first vehicle crash.
She said: "A man on his own had skidded and crashed into middle barrier. My playmate was driving – we had to swerve out of the right lane to avoid hitting him. His door was open and air bags were released.
"I phoned an ambulance but couldn't stop. My fucking partner wouldn't stop because I am twenty weeks pregnant and didn't want to put us in danger."
Miss Gaston said powerful fog made the situation especially dangerous as it was difficult to see another car until you were "on top of it".
Another eye witness added: "I eyed cars going zooming past me and attempting to swerve out the way of the stationary cars but crashing into them," she said.
"I spotted one car attempt swerve in inbetween a Mini and another car, ending up crashing into the Mini and up in the air.
"I spotted two cars swerve as they braked so hard and go flying into the barrier in the middle of the road . it was carnage."
Another driver explained how he narrowly missed a woman with a baby as he drove into the chaos.
He told MirrorOnline: “A lady walked out in front of me with a baby. I have no idea how I missed her but I managed to swerve around her.
“She was on the central reservation and looked dazed and just came out the road in front of me.
“It was carnage, absolute carnage. It was just horrible and like something out of a film."
Police said: "We have two primary scenes, the very first scene involves a serious injury and the latter a fatal.
"The fog and the ice may have well been factors in that collision, they are both under investigation at the moment.
"We have our collision investigators reviewing the scene. They will be investigating the vehicles, marking out their positions. It was very foggy, very cold and very icy this morning. I would advise all drivers to take caution today.
"Obviously the slowing of the traffic at the very first scene would have contributed to the collision in the 2nd scene but we are treating them as two separate incidents now.
"We are still investigating, the weather is certainly going to form a factor in it."
The crash is likely to cause major disruption for many people travelling across the country following the Christmas break, as the road connects London to Wales.
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