Shocking photos have been released of the aftermath of a crash which closed a bypass near East Midlands Airport.
The southbound carriageway of the A42 was closed near junction 23 of the M1 in Leicestershire, as well as a slip road off the motorway following a single-vehicle collision on Saturday (April 11) morning.
A large number of fire service, police, ambulance and highways vehicles attended the scene, which reportedly happened due to the driver experiencing a medical episode.
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service, which deployed multiple crews to the incident, published photos showing the wreckage of a black Mercedes behind the barrier on the slip road.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the station said: “Today we attended a Road Traffic Collision on the M1 A42 slip due to the driver suffering a medical episode.”
Leicestershire Police were contacted for more information about the crash, but are yet to respond.
Issuing a warning to other motorists, Coalville fire station said: “Your reactions, concentration and judgement can all be affected if you are feeling unwell. A mild illness, fatigue, dizziness or side effects of medications can impair your ability to drive safely.
Fire crews at the scene of the crash on Saturday (April 11) morning -Credit:Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service
“If you’re not feeling fit to drive, delay your journey and seek advice if needed. No trip is worth the risk. If you begin to feel unwell while driving, pull over safely as soon as you can and call for help.”
Traffic monitoring site Inrix, which first reported the incident at 11.28am, said motorists were queuing due to the crash.
“A42 Southbound closed, queueing traffic due to accident at M1 J23A (Derby / East Midlands Airport / Tamworth),” it said.
“Exit slip road at J23A M1 (Derby, East Midlands Airport, Tamworth) to A42 is also closed Southbound.”
The collision happened less than 24 hours after a car fell off a bridge and hit a minibus near junction 20, resulting in the deaths of two teenagers.