POLICE have confirmed that a 38 year-old woman from St Helens died in a horror crash on the M56 in Runcorn yesterday.
A man who lost his life in the multiple-pile up has not yet been formally identified.
They were travelling in different vehicles in the collision which involved an empty coach, two HGVs and a car.
The incident happened near junction 12 shortly after midday and completely closed the motorway.
A Cheshire Police spokesman said: “Sadly two people lost their lives in this collision and Cheshire Police′s thoughts are with the families involved.
"We would also like to thank everyone who used the roads around this time for their cooperation and patience."
Emergency services strived to minimise the disruption to the road network.
However, due to the sheer volume of traffic using the M56, travel across the north west was disrupted.
The motorway fully reopened at 11.30pm last night.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here