Drivers were forced to take evasive action after a 5ft crane wheel sheared off in a bizarre motorway drama.
The giant wheel came off the crane which was travelling at speed along the M62.
Six drivers came to grief on both carriageways between junctions 22 and 23 at around 8.40pm on Thursday.
The runaway wheel detached from the off-side of the vehicle and sped down the hard shoulder before veering across the other lanes and bouncing across the central reservation.
At least two cars were left badly damaged.
Fortunately there were no serious injuries.
Driver Zain Shah, 24, was travelling a short distance behind the crane and captured what happened on his dashboard video camera.
“We were just a mile off junction 23 and suddenly I saw people braking in front of me,” he said.
“Then I saw the wheel rolling down the hard shoulder and the crane driver realised what had happened and pulled over.
“I reckon the crane must have been doing about 60mph when the whole wheel just snapped off.”
Zain, driving home to Bradford from Manchester in his Honda Accord, then reported what had happened to the Highways Agency.
“It was a lucky escape for me,” he added. “I was just moments away from disaster.
“It was a horrible night, rainy and dark, but fortunately I had kept loads of distance between me and the car in front.
“Too many people tailgate on the motorway and that’s what causes accidents.”
Two cars crashed eastbound and four westbound. One car ended up on its roof.
Emergency services attended and Huddersfield fire crew commander Eddy Beaumont said: “It seems the cars swerved to avoid the debris in the road.
“We dealt with the vehicles on the westbound section which was the second incident, and one car had rolled onto its roof.
“The lady wasn’t in the car when we got there, she had been able to get out and she was given first aid by us.
“The other driver has cuts and bruises.”
The people injured on the eastbound section were all assisted by Elland firefighters and Yorkshire Ambulance Service paramedics.
Elland fire crews attended to a woman aged 66 in one vehicle and woman aged 61 and a man aged 38 in the other vehicle.
They are said to have received, cuts, bruises and suspected broken bones and were taken to hospital for treatment.
West Yorkshire Police and the Highways Agency have investigated the incident.
A Highways Agency spokeswoman said: “At 8.46pm we got reports of a wheel rolling from a crane that was going along the eastbound section of the M62.
“Shortly afterwards two cars on the eastbound carriageway were involved in incidents involving the wheel.
“The wheel made its way across the central reservation where it hit a large goods vehicle and four cars and drivers had to take evasive action.
“It all happened is quick succession after the crane wheel came loose.”
Click here to take you back to more Huddersfield news .
Want to read, watch and hear more? You can download the FREE Examiner Apple App here , the FREE Examiner Android App here or you can view the paper as an e-edition on your Apple, Android or Kindle device by clicking here
To follow us on Twitter click here
