HUNDREDS of motorists were left stranded for hours after a horror smash left two dead and one man in hospital with serious injuries.

Drivers were trapped between junctions 27 and 28 after all three of the lanes on the northbound carriageway were blocked following the accident at 4.35pm on Monday, September 6. Two of the southbound lanes were also closed.

It was part of a spate of accidents which caused traffic chaos over a 16-hour period.

There was also a smash on the M65 at Riley Green, a four-car crash on Preston Road at Higher Walton and a shunt at Thelwall Viaduct, all during yesterday's early morning rush hour, which added to motorists' misery.

Many of the trapped motorists on the M6 walked back along the motorway to Charnock Richard Service Station to contact concerned relatives before police were able to make room for them to reverse back to junction 27.

Tailbacks stretched for around 20 miles to junction 23.

And a lane in each carriageway remained closed until 7pm last night (Tuesday) as essential repairs were carried out.

The accident occurred after a Renault HGV veered off the southbound carriageway through the central reservation before toppling over in the northbound carriageway.

The 44-ton lorry carrying building materials collided with two Nissan Micra saloons, killing both drivers on impact.

An Astra van then hit one of the Micras, but the driver did not receive any injuries and was treated for shock at the scene.

The HGV driver -- 51-year-old Harry Osey from Kenyon Road, Wigan -- is in the Royal Preston Hospital in a serious but not life threatening condition.

The Nissan drivers, a 59-year-old Sheila Abrahams from Billinge and Dave Luckley, also 59, from south-east London, were pronounced dead at the scene.

Two ambulances, an air ambulance and fire engines from across the county attended.

Traffic was affected across Chorley throughout the night and into rush hour yesterday (Tuesday) as cars were diverted off the M6 and onto the M61 southbound and the A6.

But another minor smash on the M65 at Riley Green, a four-car crash in Higher Walton injuring two people, and one at the Thelwall Viaduct in Cheshire early yesterday morning (Tuesday) resulted in traffic backing up around the whole of South Lancashire.

An accident investigation has been launched in the M6 crash and anyone who witnessed it is asked to call motorway police on 01772 614444.