A MAN suffered serious injuries in a crash on the M65 yesterday.

The one-vehicle accident happened at around 10.30am between junctions 6 and 7 of the eastbound carriageway heading towards Accrington.

An air ambulance attended the scene and airlifted a man in his mid-30s to Royal Preston Hospital with ‘major trauma injuries and bleeding’.

The Eastbound carriageway of the M65 was closed following the incident and fully opened more than four hours later at around 3pm.

The incident caused queuing traffic between junction 6 and 7 and congestion around the area.

A diversion was put in place with eastbound traffic being taken off the motorway at junction 6 and along the A678.

Lancashire Road Police tweeted yesterday morning: “Injury RTC M65 East bound just after jct6. Carriageway closed until further notice, air ambulance on scene. #T4RPU”

A spokesman for Highways England said: “We were made aware of an accident on the Eastbound carriageway of the M65 between J6 and J7 at around 10.30am.

“It involved a van and a man suffered serious injuries.

“The accident closed the eastbound carriageway with it not fully re-opening until 3pm, while the westbound carriageway was also closed temporarily until 11.40am while the air ambulance attended the scene.”

A North West Ambulance Service spokesman said: “We were called at 10.27am to reports of an RTC on junction 6 and 7 of the M65 eastbound.

“We sent a land ambulance, rapid response vehicle and air ambulance.

“A man in his mid 30s has been airlifted to hospital with major trauma injuries and bleeding.”