Hen party horror on M62: One passenger killed and 16 injured as lorry driver crashes into minibus packed with women heading for night out

A woman has died and 16 others have been injured after the minibus in which they were travelling to a hen party collided with a lorry on the M62.
The group of women were travelling to Liverpool from South Elmsall, West Yorkshire, for the weekend when the minibus was involved in a crash with a Farmfoods lorry.
The minibus - which was apparently carrying 20 women from West Yorkshire - was left lying on its side following the accident.
Several of the other women rushed to hospital were in a serious condition. Police arrested the driver of the lorry at the scene following the accident.

Crash scene: The minibus can be seen on its side on the hard shoulder, and a farm foods lorry that was involved is up in front

Minibus: This is the minibus which was involved in the crash flipped on its side at the edge of the motorway

Wreckage: The damaged minibus on the M62 today. One woman has died and 16 others have been injured

Emergency services - including six air ambulances - were called at 11.30am to junction 32 of the M62 after the crash near the Xscape leisure park, at Pontefract.
Paramedics said they had treated 17 people at the scene and they had taken patients to two hospitals.

Police said the incident had left the motorway closed in both directions and advised motorists to avoid the area.
Yvette Cooper, MP for nearby Pontefract and Castleford, Tweeted this afternoon: 'Awful news of scale of crash on M62 nr Pontefract - thoughts with those involved and emergency services working hard to help.'

Crash scene: Debris can be seen on the carriageway after the accident which left 25 people injured

Lorry crash: The driver of this farmfoods lorry has been arrested following the crash today

Emergency: Six air ambulances - including this one - were called to the scene and made multiple trips to hospitals with all the passengers

Emergency operation: Police and fire services work on the scene on the M62 in West Yorkshire today

A spokesman said the driver of the lorry, a local man, has been arrested in connection with the incident.
Alice Taylor, 31, who was stuck in the queue, said the air ambulance had taken off and landed several times as the injured were ferried to hospital.
Describing the scene, she said: 'There is a Farm Foods lorry on the main carriageway and a minibus on its side on the embankment.

Crash scene: The accident happened on the M62 at junction 32 westbound at around 11.30am today

Accident: The air ambulance can be seen landing (centre) as paramedics treat the injured at the scene of the crash today. Picture provided by Alice Taylor

'When we stopped there were police, fire and ambulance services on the scene and a lot more have come since. There are two fire trucks right in front of me, a serious incident van and a number of ambulances.
'The air ambulance have been back and forth and we have seen people taken away on trolleys from the scene. We have been sat here for around two hours now while the emergency services work.
'The injured all seem to have been taken away and police have been taking measurements on the road.'
The mother said she had been warned by police that they would have to wait another two hours before the queue of traffic could start moving again.
Assistant Chief Constable Craig Guildford of West Yorkshire Police, said: 'This is a significant incident with a number of casualties and as a result of this we have had to close the motorway to allow emergency services to safely get to and free those who are injured.'

Emergency: Two air ambulances can be seen on the carriageway as the injured are ferried to hospital

Huge operation: A fleet of Yorkshire Ambulance Service vehicles on the scene. A spokesman confirmed that 25 people had been taken to hospital

'We realise this will cause disruption and I would ask drivers to bear with us and avoid the motorway in that area as there will be significant delays.'
'Emergency Services remain on the scene and will re-open lanes of the M62 in the area as soon as we can do so safely, but clearly the priority at this stage has been recovering those who are injured.'
'Anyone who is concerned about a family member or who has witnessed the collision itself is asked to contact West Yorkshire Police on 101 for information.'
A spokesperson for Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust said: 'We received an emergency call at 11.31 today to reports of a serious collision between a mini-coach and an HGV at junction 32 of the M62, close to Castleford, West Yorkshire.
'Due to the scale of the incident we enacted our Major Incident Plan and dispatched a significant number of resources to the scene including ambulances, our Hazardous Area Response Team, doctors and air ambulances.
'Ambulance clinicians provided treatment to patients at the scene and have worked closely with emergency service colleagues.
'At this time we can confirm that we have treated and transported 17 patients and are working in close partnership with hospitals in the area, including Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield and Leeds General Infirmary.'

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