A DRIVER has described the horrific moment cars ‘burst into flames’ on a Bromsgrove motorway, leaving one dead and seven others injured.

Richard Edginton, 48, of Solihull, was driving home from work on the northbound carriageway of the M42 on Sunday night (July 9) when four cars and a heavy goods vehicle collided, causing three cars to catch fire.

“I was the first car behind the police block in the outside lane so I arrived just as the cars burst into flames. It was phenomenal.

“The fire was on the other side of the carriageway but the smoke went right away across the motorway and it was thick jet black smoke.

"I first noticed the smoke and then I saw the flames, which were at least six or seven metres high in the air.

“There was absolutely no chance whoever was in the middle of that would survive. It was absolute carnage, it really was.”

West Mercia Police officers were on the scene within minutes, alongside Bromsgrove and Redditch firefighters, who battled to extinguish the blaze for around 20 minutes.

One driver was found dead inside a fire-ravaged Volkswagen Golf, having suffered devastating injuries. The victim is yet to be formally identified.

Three others were rushed to hospital for treatment, including the driver of a Renault Kadjar, man in his 70s, who received a broken arm, and his passenger, a woman also in her 70s, who suffered a broken arm, leg and pelvis.

Four patients, including the lorry driver, were treated at the scene for minor injuries.

The tragedy left hundreds of drivers 'trapped' in their cars for several hours along three miles of traffic, with delays continuing well into Monday morning.

Richard added: “I was sat on the northbound carriage way for about an hour and a quarter while the fire brigade fought the fire and the ambulances attended to everyone.

“People were propped up on the hard shoulder so I assume they had come out of some of the crashed cars.

“It was horrifying and I just had to sit there watching everything burn. I’ve seen a few car fires in my time but never one like that.”

36 Highways England officers worked throughout the night to carry out emergency repairs to fire-damaged road, using 30 tonnes of resurfacing material.

A 52-year-old man from Exmouth in Devon has since been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. He remains in police custody while investigations are ongoing.

Investigating officer, Police Sergeant Rob Gilligan, of Central Motorway Police Group, said: "We would like to speak to anyone who may have witnessed the circumstances leading up to the incident.

"Anyone with information is asked to call West Midlands Police on the non-emergency telephone number 101, quoting 2832 of July 9."