A lorry has plunged off a viaduct on a major motorway and fallen into a wooded area in a terrifying crash.
The HGV smashed through one of the barriers on the M6 at the Thelwall Viaduct in Warrington and plummeted onto the embankment below.
The driver of the lorry is not believed to have suffered life-threatening injuries.
The massive collision happened on the northbound carriageway between junction 20 and 21 at around 6.50pm on Monday.
Three of the four northbound motorway lanes are currently closed due to serious damage caused to the barrier, with police warning the situation will remain like that for ‘some time’.
The Thelwall Viaduct carries the M6 over the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal to the east of Warrington and reaches a maximum height of 28m above the water.
The height the lorry fell is estimated to be around 15m (50ft).
Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service used water to cool the lorry and stopped a leak of around 1,000 litres of fuel from the vehicle.
Fire crews used rescue equipment to lower themselves to the driver, who was handed over to the care of attending paramedics.
The emergency response included a rescue boat from Warrington, a helicopter from Lymm and five fire engines.
Three lanes are expected to remain closed on the northbound carriageway until the morning due to the damage caused to the barrier, the force said.
One lane will remain open with a reduced speed limit.
Police have advised motorists to avoid the area.
A Cheshire Police spokesperson said: ‘Shortly after 6.50pm on Monday 30 September, police were called to reports of an incident on the M6 northbound at Thelwall Viaduct, between junction 20 and 21.
‘Officers attended the scene and found a lorry had come off the carriageway and landed on the embankment below the bridge.
‘Motorists are advised to avoid the area and find an alternative route during this time.’
A Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: ‘Firefighters were called to reports of a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) that had left the carriageway of the M6 northbound between Junction 20 and 21, close to the Thelwall Viaduct.
‘On arrival, they found that a HGV had left the carriageway and overturned on an embankment.
‘Crews used technical rescue equipment to lower themselves and reach the casualty, who was handed over to the care of attending paramedics.
‘Crews have applied water to cool the HGV and are using bunding to contain a leak of approximately 1000 litres of bio-diesel from the fuel tanks of the vehicle.
‘While the carriageway was fully closed, lanes one and two have been re-opened by Cheshire Police and the Highways Agency.’