POLICE today gave an insight into problems in dealing with motorway crashes.

And they insisted “safety first” was always the key.

The comments came from Chief Insp Neil Hunter only days after the busy M62 had to be shut again because of a crash.

The man in charge of roads policing in West Yorkshire insisted the safety of emergency service personnel had to be the priority.

And he said officers would always try to divert traffic away from an incident, although this was not always possible.

Friday’s large van crash at Outlane was the eighth to bring the M62 to a halt in November.

The driver escaped serious injuries as the van hit the central barrier and overturned, shedding its load of Lucozade drinks over both carriageways.

Chief Insp Hunter said: “The motorway network in West Yorkshire covers 213 miles of roads and is one of the busiest road networks in the country.

“At peak times it is not unusual to see between 5,000 and 6,000 vehicles an hour travel through the busiest areas of the M62.