Motorists have been hit by 90-minute delays on the M62 after a fatal late-night crash left part of the motorway closed.
Commuters faced more than 10 miles of gridlock on Monday morning following the serious collision by Junction 19 near Heywood late on Sunday night, and were urged to find alternative routes where possible.
Greater Manchester Police said a 24-year-old man had died in the crash, which occurred at around 11:30pm on the stretch of motorway between the exits for Heywood and Rochdale.
“Initial enquiries have established an Audi A5 S line car was travelling on the M62 before it came off the carriageway and collided with a bridge. It is believed no other vehicles were involved,” Greater Manchester Police said in a statement.
Motorway authorities said the vehicle had caught fire in the crash, and police reported that the man died from his injuries at the scene.
The road was closed while police carried out enquiries, and delays were expected at least until 10:15am, according to National Highways.
As of 9:45am, there were traffic queues reaching close to Huddersfield in West Yorkshire.
Detective Constable Rachael Stafford said: “Since we became aware of the incident last night, we deployed officers to the scene and are now in a position to appeal to any members of the public who were on that stretch of road last night and can help with our enquiries, this could include those who have access to dashcam footage.
“At the heart of this is a man that has sadly lost his life in tragic circumstances and family and friends who are now having to come to terms with losing a loved one this morning.”
