M61 crash near Chorley leaves Wesham teenager in serious condition at Royal Preston Hospital

Police closed the northbound carriageway after a crash involving a Ford Focus and a Ford Kuga near junction 8 at around 4.30pm.

The driver of the Focus – a man from Wesham, aged in his late teens – collided with the Kuga before hitting the central reservation and a bridge

He was treated by paramedics at the scene and taken to hospital with a serious injury.

The driver and a passenger in the Kuga, from Manchester, suffered minor injuries and were treated by ambulance crews.

The northbound carriageway was closed for more than five hours while specialist collision investigators worked at the scene.

It reopened around 10pm after repairs had been made to a large damaged section of the central and nearside barriers.

Lancashire Police are now appealing for information and would like to hear from anybody with dashcam, or who saw the collision or saw the Focus or the Kuga in the moments before the crash.

Sgt Helen Parkinson, of the Lancashire Roads Policing Unit, said: “This collision has left a young man in hospital with a serious injury and we are determined to piece together exactly what occurred.

“If you saw the collision, or if you have any dashcam footage, please get in touch.”

Anybody with information should contact us on 101, quoting log 987 of August 1.