A MAN was crushed against the steering wheel after a HGV ploughed into his van on the M62.

The 36-year-old man, driving a Luton-bodied Transit van, was hit by a HGV which then rammed his vehicle into the central reservation of the motorway yesterday afternoon.

The driver was trapped inside for around 20 minutes, conscious but needing urgent treatment.

The incident, which happened on the eastbound carriageway at Junction 22 at Windy Hill at 2.20pm, led to massive delays as the emergency services closed the motorway off as they worked at the scene.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance were called as firefighters battled to free the trapped man, using high-pressured hydraulic rams which pushed the side of the van away.

The air ambulance helicopter landed on the motorway at 2.45pm and the man was flown straight to Leeds General Infirmary for emergency treatment.

Watch Commander Stephen Bates, of Elland fire station, said: “The articulated lorry had hit the van and rammed it into the central reservation.

“The driver was trapped, he was conscious and breathing but as a result of his crash injuries we had to cut him out very quickly.

“He was trapped inside for around 20 minutes.”

The driver of the HGV was unhurt in the incident.

Appliances from Halifax, one from Elland and technical rescue unit from Cleckheaton were at the scene.

Traffic was at a standstill and it took motorists at least an hour to get pass the crash scene.

l No-one was hurt in a smash involving three lorries on the M62.

The crash happened on the eastbound carriageway at junction 24 at Ainley Top at 2.40pm yesterday.

PART of the M62 close to Huddersfield will be closed off overnight for 10 hours.

The Highways Agency is due to carry out work from junction 24 at Ainley Top to junction 23 at Outlane westbound on Tuesday July 26 from 8pm until 6am.

A spokeswoman for the Highways Agency said: “It will involve lane closures but at least one lane or the hard shoulder will remain open throughout the work, so it’s not a complete closure. It is to allow maintenance work on the traffic flow detection cables under the road surface.”