Four people have been arrested in connection with the crash.

The accident happened on the west-bound carriageway near Junction 25 at Brighouse between Leeds and Halifax and was still causing a four mile tailback as rush-hour began at 7am today.

The accident happened at 11.39pm yesterday when blue Volkswagen Golf collided with a Renault heavy goods vehicle and went out of control.

One young man was trapped inside the vehicle. Another was thrown clear.

A male passenger in the Golf was pronounced dead at the scene. The male driver of the Golf suffered serious injuries and was taken to Calderdale Royal Infirmary.

Firefighters from Cleckheaton were first on the scene and began to cut the trapped man free from the vehicle.

"It was pretty mangled," said one of the firefighters.

Two fire crews from Odsal arrived to help. Fire crews worked with paramedics to help the two victims.

Police closed the motorway and put diversions into effect.

A white Toyota car had stopped at the scene and police say it may have been involved in the accident. Police said the four occupants of the Toyota were arrested.

The west-bound motorway was still closed at 7am today causing severe delays. Further tailbacks were caused on feeder roads by vehicles coming off the blocked motorway at the Chain Bar junction to Halifax and Bradford.

Police have appealed for witnesses and information on 01924 292915.

* A two-vehicle accident on the M62 caused major tailbacks for commuters last night (thurs].

The accident, which involved a blue Ford Fusion and another car, happened near junction 27 at Gildersome on the westbound carriageway.

One of the cars hit the central reservation so police had to close the outside lane of the motorway for half an hour after the crash at 3.30pm.

One car was left straddling the central reservation dangling between the west-bound and east-bound carriageways. A number of car and lorry drivers and a motorcyclist stopped at the scene to aid victims before emergency services arrived.

The occupants of the cars escaped with minor injuries.

Traffic was badly affected by the smash with queues stretching back onto the M621.



A diversion is in operation.

The exit slip road from the M606 to the westbound M62 has also been closed southbound at Chain Bar causing very slow traffic.

The closure is causing serious traffic problems in the wider West Yorkshire area.

Earlier on Thursday, a two-vehicle accident on the M62 caused major tailbacks for commuters.

The accident, which involved a blue Ford Fusion and another car, happened near Junction 27 at Gildersome on the westbound carriageway.

One of the cars hit the central reservation so police had to close the outside lane of the motorway for half an hour after the crash at 3.30pm.

One car was left straddling the central reservation danngling between the west-bound and east-bound carriageways. A number of car and lorry drivers and a motorcyclist stopped at the schene to aid victims before emergency sewrvices arrived.

The occupants of the cars escaped with minor injuries.
Traffic was badly affected by the smash with queues stretching back onto the M621.