A DRIVER who died when a van and oil tanker collided on the A449 near Kidderminster yesterday (Tuesday) was a 71-year-old man from Brierley Hill.

The man was flown by air ambulance to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham after the incident, which happened near the Mare and Colt pub at around 11.45am, but he died shortly afterwards.

He had been driving a white Citroen Nemo panel van towards Kidderminster when it hit and became wedged under a grey DAF tanker - which was heading in the opposite direction.

The busy A449 was closed between the Hoo Farm industrial estate and the junction with Droitwich Road until around 5.20pm while collisison investigators examined the scene.

Constable Lee Baker said: “This was a nasty collision which has tragically resulted in the death of a man. Our thoughts are with his family at this time. We have begun an investigation into the circumstances and are keen to hear from any witnesses we have not yet spoken to who either saw what happened or noticed either of the vehicles involved on that road beforehand.”

The Worcestershire coroner has been informed of the death and an inquest will open in due course.

The tanker driver, from Gosport, Hampshire, was uninjured.

Anyone with information should contact PC Baker in the operational policing unit at Rubery Police Station on the non-emergency number 101, quoting the incident reference 221-S-250214.