Police have issued a tragic update following two separate incidents on the M62 in the early hours of Wednesday, May 8.
The motorway was initially closed in both directions shortly at 1am this morning after a male biker was involved in a serious collision with a stationary vehicle on the exit slip road at junction 24 for Ainley Top.
Police and paramedics soon arrived on the scene to close the motorway to traffic in both directions and found a 50-year-old man from outside West Yorkshire suffering from life-threatening injuries. He sadly died a short time later.
Emergency services were also called to a separate incident a few miles further along the M62 at around 5am following reports of a man on Scammonden Bridge.
He fell roughly an hour later, at 6am, and he too died as a result of his injuries.
Police have praised the reaction from motorists, some of whom were delayed for hours on their morning commute to work.
Detective Superintendent Jim Griffiths of the Major Collision Enquiry Team (MCET), said: "The two incidents meant there was a significant impact on the road network – especially for motorists looking to get to work in and around ‘rush hour’.
"I appreciate that the closures caused significant disruption but they were necessary to allow the emergency services to go about their work. Any decision to close the motorway is not taken lightly and the road has now reopened.
"I would like to thank motorists who were caught up in the traffic for their patience and understanding as we worked to investigate what had happened and to get the road reopened."
Visit our homepage for more of the biggest talking points across Leeds.
LeedsLive has launched a WhatsApp group to keep you up to date with the latest news! Click here to join and follow the instructions on your phone. Your number won't be shared with anyone else in the group.
