A Bradford lorry driver was in hospital today with head injuries after a horror smash with a minibus in which five people died.

Graham Jagger, 45, of West Royd Drive in Shipley, was involved in the crash in Leicestershire last night in freezing fog.

Today, his wife Christine was with him after his employers, Mcfarlane Transport of Calverley Bridge, drove her to Derby Royal Infirmary last night.

The accident happened on the A42 at Measham at about 8.15pm and police said the minibus carrying a local football team and the lorry were travelling in the same direction.

It is believed Mr Jagger's articulated Volvo lorry crashed into the central reservation, hit the concrete support of the bridge and collided with a Ford Escort.

Four people died at the scene of the crash and a passenger in the minibus died in hospital during the night.

Mr Jagger is believed to have chest injuries and his condition was described as comfortable by a spokesman at the hospital today.

Inspector Peter Bruton of Leicestershire police said: "We don't know what has happened yet.

"The minibus was travelling south and the lorry was following it.

"Somehow the two collided. I am told it was foggy at the time."

Mr Jagger, who has worked for Mcfarlane Transport for more than ten years as an HGV driver, was on his way to make a collection in the East Midlands.

Owner Ian Macfarlane said he believed Mr Jagger had been saved by the airbag in the lorry.

"We were all stunned when we heard what had happened," he said.

"It seems that Graham has been very lucky and could have been much more seriously injured if it hadn't been for the airbag.

"My brother Gordon took Graham's wife Christine to see him in hospital.

"She was obviously very shocked. I'm heading down to Leicestershire to talk to police. We've no idea at this stage how it happened."

One other person was today in a "very serious" condition in hospital, and at least 12 others were also hurt in the accident.

Witness Mark Beniston, who was one of the first on the scene after the crash, said he saw the lorry driver looking dazed.

"There were people screaming, you could hear the pain in their voices," he said.

"You could hear them shouting "get me out".

"I just didn't know what I was going to find."

Service engineer Simon Barnard, 31, who drove near the scene of the crash, said: "It was like a scrapyard down there, with twisted metal everywhere.

"It's a very busy overcrowded road which grinds to a halt for an hour both morning and night, and I'm not surprised there was a crash there."

The cause of the crash is being investigated, but both vehicles involved were thought to have been travelling in the same direction.

Visibility was reduced to about 150 yards as freezing fog descended over the area.

The injured from the minibus, who are all from Leicestershire, were taken to hospitals in Leicester, Nottingham, Derby and Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire.

The operation involved 12 ambulances from five different counties and fire fighters from three Leicestershire stations.

The minibus driver and four passengers were released after being treated at Derby Royal Infirmary.

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