Soho Road: Arrest after passenger killed in stationary car

A man in his 30s died and two other people were taken to hospital, police said

A man has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving after a passenger in a stationary car was killed in a crash.

An Audi was in collision with a number of vehicles on Soho Road in Handsworth, Birmingham, at about 20:20 GMT on Sunday, West Midlands Police said.

The passenger, in his 30s, died and two others were hurt, one seriously.

The dead man has not been named, but a resident said he was due to be best man at his friend's wedding this week.

One of the the other victims suffered potentially serious injuries, West Midlands Ambulance Service said.

'Another needless death'

Officers said the 25-year-old driver of the Audi was among those taken to hospital and would be questioned later.

Andy Street, West Midlands mayor, described it as "another needless death in Birmingham".

He said his thoughts were with the victim's family and everyone affected in the community.

The crash happened on Soho Road between Stafford and Holliday roads.

Local business leader Bob Balu

The road was shut for a time but later reopened.

Local residents were left in shock with footage of the aftermath of the crash that has been shared widely online.

Local business leader Bob Balu described Soho Road as a safe area and said such incidents were rare.

But he explained businesses had lobbied for better lighting and traffic measures for some time.

"All night I was getting messages from social media," he told the BBC. "People were sharing the sad news."

One car near the scene of the crash was damaged later

Mr Balu said the crash could have been worse and claimed the victim had been enjoying a hot drink when the crash happened.

"We feel for the family [after] the devastating news they have just received," he added.

Mr Street tweeted he had asked his transport team to review bus priority plans for Soho Road in an attempt to incorporate better traffic safety measures.

He also requested an inquiry into whether the roll-out of average speed cameras on the stretch could be brought forward.