Three people are fighting for their lives after a serious collision on the M606.
West Yorkshire Police say a van driving the wrong way on the motorway was involved in a head-on collision with a taxi around 10.45pm on Monday night.
Another two people were seriously injured in the crash.
Police say the van failed to stop for a marked roads policing unit and then drove the wrong way on the southbound M606 from Chain Bar roundabout towards Bradford, where it was involved in the collision.
A spokesperson from the force said: “There are five casualties in total from both vehicles, including three who were critically injured. The M606 is currently closed in both directions while emergency services respond to the incident.
“The scene and road closures are expected to be in place for a significant period, with National Highways warning that the road is unlikely to reopen until after lunchtime. Drivers are advised to avoid the area and seek alternative routes.”
West Yorkshire Police added that the police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, was informed of the incident after a police vehicle was involved in the circumstances leading to the collision.
An air ambulance arrived at the scene shortly before midnight and National Highways are warning that the road is likely to be closed until at least lunchtime.
Drivers are being advised to find alternative routes as the emergency services deal with the incident. The National Highways tweeted: “The #M606 in #WestYorkshire is CLOSED in both directions between J1 (#M62) and J3 (near #Bradford) due to a serious collision. @WestYorksPolice are in attendance, with our Traffic Officers en route to assist. More details to follow.”
