The crash happened at 0730 BST leaving eight people injured

Brian Brooks told BBC News 24 how he saw a transporter carrying army vehicles tip over into incoming traffic.

Five people died in the crash which occurred at the start of the morning rush hour and caused the closure of the M1 between junctions 19 and 20.

Mr Brooks described the scene as one of "absolute carnage".

He said: "I saw a trailer carrying two or three armoured personnel carriers coming towards the southbound traffic, going through the crush barrier and then there was a huge cloud of dust.

"I couldn't even remember hearing a bang it happened so quickly.

The tanks didn't even look damaged but just crushed everything in their path Brian Brooks Eyewitness

"I got out of my vehicle and there was just cars and vans strewn all over the place and all the debris that comes with that.

"A painter's van was just left where I was and I climbed into the back of that with a workman and crawled through the paint to see if we could help the two men in front."

The army vehicles, which had recently returned from service in the Gulf, were being transported from Hampshire to the army base at Catterick in North Yorkshire.

Mr Brooks said the bulk of the damage was caused by the heavy army vehicles coming off the transporter.

He said: "There were two transporters. One was carrying two of the armoured carriers and had a trailer behind that carrying another two or three.

"That broke away, spun round - jack-knifed if you like - and has gone through the crush barrier.

"The tanks then rolled off. They didn't even look damaged but just crushed everything in their path.

"It was just carnage. That's the right word for it."

Eight people were injured in the crash and air ambulances ferried two of them to hospital.