A man has died following a horror crash on the M61, police have confirmed.

The motorway has been closed between junction 8 for Chorley and junction 8 for Horwich since officers were called shortly before midnight.

The crash was between a Citroen C1 and the barrier, before it then crashed with a Mercedes-Benz that was also travelling southbound.

The man, in his 20s, was the passenger in the Citroen.

READ MORE: M61 closed between Chorley and Horwich due to crash

The driver of the Citroen and another passenger suffered serious injuries. The driver of the Mercedes suffered serious injuries, and they were all taken to hospital for treatment.

Sgt Kasim Hussain of Lancashire Police’s Road Policing Unit said: “This collision has very sadly seen a young man lose his life and my thoughts first and foremost are with his family and loved ones and this distressing time.

“The carriageway has been closed for some time while officers carry out an investigation into what happened.

“As part of the investigation, we are appealing for anyone who witnessed the collision to contact us.

“If anyone was driving on the M61 near the scene of the collision and has dashcam footage, we want to hear from them.”

Any witnesses or anyone with footage or information should contact 101, quoting log 1497 of October 15, 2024, or email SCIU@lancashire.police.uk.