A driver and horses have died after a crash involving three cars and the animals running loose on the motorway.

Traffic ground to a halt on the M18 in Doncaster after the smash.

The alarm was raised after vehicles collided with a black and a grey horse near junction J4.

Two Skodas and a Vauxhall crashed with the horses in the early hours of Friday morning.

The emergency services responded at about 4.44am.

A 50-year-old man, the driver of a grey Skoda Superb, died after crashing with one of the horses.

His family have been informed, the police said.

A second car, a blue Skoda Octavia, smashed into one of the animals.

Then a third vehicle, a Vauxhall Vivaro, collided with one of the horses.

The drivers of the blue Skoda and Vauxhall suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Both horses died at the scene and officers are trying to find their owner.

South Yorkshire Police said: ‘We are now asking for any witnesses, who have not yet spoken to police to come forward, and anyone with dashcam footage to share it.

‘We would also like to speak to the owner of the horses, who has not yet come forward.

‘One horse is black and one horse is grey in colour. Further enquiries are on-going around the horses and their owners, but anyone missing two horses or who may know who they belong to is asked to contact us.’

Other motorists who were on the road after the horror crash paid tribute to the man.

One person said on social media: ‘I was there in the traffic for 7 plus hours when I saw the crash. You can’t even put it into words it was horrific. Condolences to the man’s family and to anyone else involved hope there ok.’

Another person wrote: ‘My heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the man who tragically lost his life, and it’s heartbreaking that two horses have also died, thoughts are with their owners too.’

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