M1 and M62 closed after woman falls from bridge and car transporter overturns

A total of nine vehicles came off the transporter in the incident, which happened on the motorway’s northbound carriageway close to junction 39 at around 10.25am.

The transporter was left on its side and one of the vehicles it had been carrying ended up on the southbound carriageway.

Another of the cars that came off the transporter was reported to have slipped down an embankment beside the motorway.

The transporter and its load were the only vehicles involved in the incident and there were no reports of serious injuries.

West Yorkshire Police’s Chief Insp Paul Hepworth said: “We would ask drivers to be patient when travelling near to junction 39 of the M1.

“Lane three of the southbound carriageway remains closed while work is carried out to repair a barrier.

“The northbound carriageway is completely closed between junctions 38 and 39 - traffic is being diverted. There will be some delays. We are estimating that this carriageway will not reopen until into or after rush hour.”

Separately, the M62 in West Yorkshire was closed after a woman fell from a bridge.

The woman suffered serious injuries in the incident, which happened on the westbound carriageway near Gildersome at around 10.15am.

Police said she had fallen from the bridge into a roadworks area.

The motorway was closed to traffic so the Yorkshire Air Ambulance could land at the scene and transport the woman to Leeds General Infirmary.

A spokeswoman for West Yorkshire Police said the route reopened by 1pm.