A motorcyclist has died in a crash tragedy on the M62 which has left witnesses traumatised.
The man was killed when his bike was in a smash with a car on a moorland stretch of the motorway near Huddersfield.
Witnesses described the accident as “horrific” and “the worst I’ve ever seen.”
The crash happened on the eastbound carriageway heading towards Huddersfield shortly after 11.30am near the slip road for junction 22 where four lanes merge into three.
The eastbound carriageway was completely shut and remains closed more than six hours after the tragedy while accident investigation experts carry out a detailed examination of the scene.
A second collision happened soon after on the westbound side of the carriageway on the same stretch of motorway.
The westbound carriageway was reduced to just one lane with huge tailbacks stretching back several miles. It took traffic at least 40 minutes to get past the scene.
Pc Dave Purcell from West Yorkshire Police tweeted: “Crashes on #M62 both eastbound and westbound. Eastbound completely closed until further notice. Please find an alternative route, check your fuel level and plan for long delays.”
People who saw what happened also took to social media.
Sara tweeted: “Glad to finally be home. Saw the immediate aftermath of a truly horrific accident on the #m62 and now can’t stop thinking about that poor motorcyclist.”
Stacey Nicole added: “Just witnessed the most horrific accident on the #M62. It was a biker and a car but believe me it was the most horrific accident I’ve ever seen in my life. I’ve witnessed about four bike accidents in my time but that was awful.”
Robert Etere added: “The guy overtook me about 10 minutes before. I saw the immediate aftermath. It was very, very nasty. My thoughts go out to the people involved.”
Thousands of football fans on their way to matches were caught up in the traffic mayhem and many missed the kick-offs.
Bolton supporters were badly affected on their way to Elland Road to play Leeds United.
Other surrounding roads quickly became gridlocked.
