Witnesses say a car involved in a serious crash on the A1M was driving the wrong way along the A64 minutes earlier.
At about 3pm yesterday (Thursday), a silver Volkswagen Polo was in collision with a red Vauxhall Combo van.
It happened on the northbound carriageway of the A1M, about a mile from Junction 44 in the Aberford area of Leeds.
A woman in her 90s, who was a passenger in the Polo, was taken to hospital with serious injuries, which are said to be life threatening due to her age.
The drivers of both vehicles suffered minor injuries.
A West Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: “Enquiries suggest the Polo had travelled the wrong way along the A64 from North Yorkshire before it joined the A1M carriageway, travelling southbound on the northbound carriageway.”
Anyone who saw the Polo on the A64, or who has dashcam footage that will assist, is asked to contact the West Yorkshire Police Roads Policing Unit on 101, quoting log 861 of 30 December.
The crash and subsequent investigation caused major jams and delays.
Some drivers were trapped in the queues for up to six hours.
