Two dead in 'wrong-way' crash on East Midlands M1

Two people have died in a crash on the M1 reportedly involving a car travelling the wrong way along the carriageway.

The 87-year-old man who had been driving the car and a 27-year-old van passenger both died at the scene.

A blue Mazda Premacy and a white Ford Transit van were involved in the crash, police said.

The van's driver was taken to hospital where he is said to remain in a stable condition.

The Highways Agency said the southbound carriageway reopened at 21:30 BST.

The crash happened on the M1 near Kegworth at about 02:00 GMT, police said

Before the crash, police had received reports of a car travelling the wrong way along the southbound carriageway, a spokesman said.

Taxi driver Sam Sharpe, was at the scene of the crash not long after it happened at about 02:00 BST.

He said: "The van was on the central reservation and there was a smaller car facing the opposite direction.

"There were people walking around going to assist but there was no police or ambulance there at the time.

"As you come up from south to north, you can't see over the brow of the hill, so anyone coming from the other direction wouldn't have seen anyone coming."

The southbound carriageway between junctions 25 and 24 of the M1 has been closed all day

The carriageway, and one lane of the northbound road, were forced to shut between junctions 25 and 24.

The accident caused damage to the southbound route and the Highways Agency had to carry out resurfacing and repair work.

Tailbacks stretched for more than six miles (9.6 km) after the crash.

Motorist Chris Prior, who was caught up in the traffic on his way from Mansfield to south Wales, said he heard about the crash on the radio.

"All routes around are gridlock. Should be in Newport in south Wales by now … but still 102 miles away," he said in a tweet.