FIVE people have now been killed in 'wrong way' motorway crashes in West Yorkshire within the last two years.

This morning (Saturday) a man died in a head-on smash where one car was travelling westbound on the eastbound carriageway of the M62 at around 2am.

This follows on from a collision earlier this month (March 9) when Shahid Ali, 37, of Bradford, died in a crash involving a white Audi A3 which was “travelling against the flow of traffic” on the M62 and collided with a HGV near Junction 29 (Lofthouse).

These two crashes come in the wake of a triple fatal smash on the M606 on June 13, 2022, which claimed the lives of taxi driver Sohail Ali, 28, and his passenger Simon McHugh, 49, and Kyden Leadbeater, 18, who was a passenger in a van being driven on the wrong way on the M606 when it smashed into Mr Ali’s taxi.

The police have issued statements about the circumstances on the two fatal M62 crashes this month and the June 2022 has resulted in Jack Simpson, 16, from the Allerton area, being sentenced for six years for causing death by dangerous driving.

A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police said about this morning’s crash near Scammonden Bridge: "Police are appealing for witnesses following a fatal collision on the M62 motorway today.

"At 2.06am, police received reports of a Vauxhall Corsa travelling westbound on the eastbound carriageway of the motorway.

"Officers were deployed to locate the vehicle, but it was found to have been in collision a short time later with a VW Golf close to Scammonden Bridge.

"The male Corsa driver was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.

"The male Golf driver suffered serious injuries and was taken to hospital for further treatment.”

In regards to the collision which claimed the life of Shahid Ali, a police spokesperson said: "Police are appealing for witnesses following a fatal road traffic collision on the M62 on the morning of March 9.

"Emergency services were called to the scene of the collision, which happened on the eastbound carriageway close to junction 29, for Lofthouse, at around 3.30am.

"The collision involved a white Audi A3 travelling against the flow of traffic and a Renault HGV.

"The male occupant of the Audi was confirmed dead at the scene a short time later.”

In a case heard at Bradford Crown Court in August 2022, a judge was told that Simpson was driving a stolen van on false plates, speeding the wrong way down the M606 when it smashed into Sohail Ali’s taxi, killing Mr Ali, 28, and his passenger Simon McHugh, 49. Kyden Leadbeater, 18, a passenger in the van Simpson was driving, died a day later.