Man arrested following motorway carnage

A 60-year-old man from the London area has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, following yesterday's M1 motorway pile up in which five people died.

Police investigating the incident have established that the first collision occurred on the northbound carriageway of the M1 in Leicestershire at about 7.20am and involved a dark red Honda Civic car and a tank transporter.

The ensuing sequence of collisions involved 10 vehicles. Four people died at the scene and a fifth person died later in hospital.

Of the eight others injured - all men - four are detained in hospital with serious or very serious injuries, and four received hospital treatment but were subsequently discharged.

Staff from Leicestershire Constabulary’s specialist collision investigation unit are expected to spend several weeks gathering all the evidence and sending items for forensic examination before a final conclusion can be reached.

All the vehicles involved have been taken for detailed examinations to be carried out over the next few days.

Head of the road policing unit, Inspector Orton, said: “In collisions like this where there are many vehicles involved, there are some very seriously injured potential witnesses as well as some of those involved sadly having lost their lives, this investigation could take several months to complete. It is imperative that we deal with factual and accurate information and not speculation.”

Police have released the names of three of the people who died: Daniel Bradley (21), of Melton Mowbray; Wayne Buckley (44), of Ossett in West Yorkshire; and Christopher Green (29), of Sutton-in-Ashfield. Two other people suffered fatal injuries. They are yet to be formally identified but are believed to be from the West Midlands area.

Special trained family liaison officers will be speaking to families of those killed.

All carriageways of the M1 motorway were reopened by 2.30pm this afternoon.

(GmcG)