17 hurt in UK M-way crashes

A total of 17 people have been taken to hospital in Britain after 31 cars were involved in a series of shunts in thick fog.

The accidents happened on the A1M near Doncaster, South Yorkshire, and the casualties were taken to the Doncaster Royal Infirmary, where they were treated for minor injuries.

Station officer Graham Thrustle, of the South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, said the accidents happened following a minor crash on the northbound carriageway.

He added: "This caused a motorist to put on the brakes and triggered a series of other small accidents where people ran into the back of each other. It was like a line of dominoes being toppled.

"One driver in the middle of the line of cars got away completely untouched. He stopped in time, reversed out of the way and then saw another car go into the back of the vehicle he had just moved away from.

"Others weren't so lucky - they stopped in time but were hit in the back and shunted into the vehicle in front."

South Yorkshire Police were forced to close sections of the road and have launched an investigation into the incident.

Officers believe excessive speed and poor visibility were the principle factors and appealed to drivers to take extra care.