The incident occurred on the northbound carriageway between junction 16 for Crewe and junction 17 for Sandbach. A 34-year-old passenger in the van, from the Manchester area, was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the van, a 30-year-old man also from Manchester, sustained serious injuries and was taken to Royal Stoke University Hospital for treatment.
The cause of the crash between the white Renault van and the crane truck has not been determined. Police said they are in the early stages of their investigation and are appealing for witnesses who have not yet spoken to officers to come forward. They are also urging anyone with CCTV or dashcam footage that may have captured the incident to get in touch.
" The motorway was closed overnight while collision investigation work was carried out, with traffic diverted from the area. The current condition of the 30-year-old driver who was hospitalized is unknown.