Derbyshire council admits icy crash road had not been gritted

Part of the A61 Dronfield bypass was closed for nearly four hours after the collision at about 6.30am on Tuesday.

A Vauxhall Corsa, Toyota Yaris and Mini left the road near Gunstones Bakery and crashed down an embankment.

Police said there were no injuries but the accident caused major delays.

Freezing temperatures caused problems around the county’s roads on Tuesday morning.

A Derbyshire County Council spokesman said: “We grit routes where surface temperatures are expected to freeze based on Met Office weather forecasts.

“Monday’s forecasts predicted sub-zero overnight temperatures for some high ground areas in Derbyshire and we planned our gritting routes based on this.

“At the time of determining where to grit, the freezing morning temperatures which were experienced in some lower ground areas were not predicted. The A61 was among these areas.”

The council has just taken delivery of 15 new gritter lorries to replace 15 old ones.