Eight people have been killed and three others critically injured in a horrific crash on the M1 motorway near Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire. The incident occurred at 3.15am on Saturday, 26 August 2017, when a minibus collided with two lorries, resulting in what police have described as the deadliest motorway pile-up in 24 years.
Thames Valley Police confirmed that six men and two women died at the scene. A man, a woman, and a five-year-old girl were taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries. Police are investigating whether the lorry driver was over the legal alcohol limit, and he is being questioned.
It is believed that all eight victims may have been from the same family, some of whom were visiting the UK from India. Chief Inspector Henry Parsons from the Joint Operations Unit for Roads Policing said: 'Our thoughts are very much with the families of those involved in this morning's collision, and we are currently working to locate and inform their next of kin.'
A passerby, Brett Smith, 36, from Milton Keynes, described the scene as a 'warzone'. He stopped his taxi to help and found the minibus 'filled with blood'. He held the hand of a trapped little girl, promising her a McDonald's to keep her calm. 'I still see her now when I close my eyes,' he said.
The minibus was completely crushed in the collision, with the wreckage later removed in two pieces. The driver of one of the lorries, a FedEx vehicle, was also involved. The motorway was closed for several hours as emergency services worked at the scene.
