THREE people were taken to hospital after a spectacular smash caused chaos on the M61 near Kearsley today.

A lorry travelling north near to the Kearsley roundabout is believed to have swerved to avoid a car and clipped another HGV. The driver of the first lorry lost control and smashed through the central reservation into the outside lane of the south bound carriageway.

A Range Rover travelling on the south bound carriageway overturned and slid along the motorway on its roof. The driver was taken to the Royal Bolton hospital with head injuries.

Two other cars which swerved to avoid the vehicles crashed crashing through barriers on the hard shoulder.

The drivers, Andrew Barlow 25, and air hostess Jackie Barlow, 32, from Westhoughton, were taken to hospital suffering from shock.

The crash caused traffic chaos with queues of six miles at one stage.

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