INVESTIGATIONS are continuing into Monday's M66 motorway crash involving three lorries and a car.

Police said they have yet to interview a 46-year-old man from Eccles who was driving a Mercedes wagon laden with non-toxic chemicals, when it narrowly missed a BMW car, then hit the rear of a double-trailered lorry, and shunted that into the back of a tipper truck.

The wagon driver had to be cut from his wrecked cab near to junction 2 at Heap Bridge on Monday afternoon and was taken to Fairfield General Hospital, where he received treatment for minor cuts and bruising.

The northbound carriageway was closed off at the Heap Bridge junction for most of the afternoon, causing traffic hold-ups in Rochdale Road, Wash Lane, Bury town centre and on the M66.

The BMW driver, Mr Terry Davies (32) from Sabden, Lancashire, cheated death by seconds when he realised he could be sandwiched by the Mercedes lorry approaching from behind. He manage to manoeuvre his vehicle from its path before the wagon slammed into the back of the double-trailered HGV. His car suffered minor damage to the rear.

The drivers of the double-trailered HGV, Mr Craig Adams (27) of Nottingham, and the tipper truck, Mr Paul Grant (44) from Clitheroe, were not injured. All the vehicles were heading towards Ramsbottom.

Emergency services closed the northbound carriageway at the Heap Bridge junction as they dealt with the aftermath of the crash and cleared away non-toxic chemicals which had spilled across the carriageway.

Motorway police have since revealed that a dozen motorists have been reported after they used the hard shoulder to try to avoid huge tailbacks caused by the accident. Their impatience is being blamed for delays in the recovery vehicles reaching the crash scene, prolonging the M66's temporary closure. The offenders will each get three penalty points on their licence and £60 fines.

The accident happened when traffic was backing up behind cordoned off lanes further along the M66 between Bury and Ramsbottom. Engineers contracted to resurface the motorway in February 2004 were carrying out unauthorised surveying works, causing regular congestion and delays. Police have reported the contractors to the Highways Agency.