Two men, aged 52 and 30 from Birmingham in a Renault Clio and a man, 57, and woman, also in her 50s, from Stoke in a Ford Mondeo were killed.

A lorry overturned on an embankment and a lorry driver had to be cut free from the wreckage of his cab.

He was taken to Staffordshire General Hospital with suspected spinal injuries which were not thought to be life-threatening.

The motorway was closed following the accident at 7.40pm, which happened where the M6 Toll joins the M6 at Junction 11 on the northbound carriageway.

It caused traffic chaos, with tailbacks stretching back six miles to Junction 9 at Wednesbury.

The motorway was closed at Junction 11 and traffic was diverted onto the A460 Wolverhampton Road and along the A5 to rejoin the M6 at Junction 12.

The third lane reopened at 11pm and the entire carriageway was opened at 8am today.

Annie Harris, spokeswoman for the Highways Agency, said: “We know traffic certainly backed up to Junction 9 and traffic problems were severe.”

Bob Lee, spokesman for Staffordshire Ambulance Service, said: “It has been a very, very busy weekend, particularly on the motorways in Staffordshire and, from an ambulance service perspective, it’s been a sad time with a number of fatalities.”

A German man, aged 51, has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and is in police custody.

Witnesses should call the Central Motorway Police Group on 0121 626 1285.

In an accident just 40 minutes before, a woman believed to be in her early 20s died after the white Mercedes Sprinter van she was a passenger in flipped onto its side.

It happened on the southbound carriageway between Junctions 16 and 15 near Keele Services just before 7pm and several cars travelling northbound collided with the debris.

Nobody from those cars needed to go to hospital but the woman driver of the van and a man in a following car were taken to the University Hospital of North Staffordshire.

Several people were also taken to hospital following an accident on the southbound carriageway, between Junctions 13 at Dunston and 12 at Gailey, at 5.40pm on Saturday.

One car left the road and mounted an embankment and two helicopters were scrambled to the scene.

Two men were taken to Selly Oak Hospital. Another two men and a woman were taken to Staffordshire General Hospital in Stafford.

There was more misery for drivers on the M1 in Leicestershire today when the motorway was closed southbound due to an accident and was only due to reopen at 6pm.

Popular stories:

• Video of gardener’s strange find
• Escaped vulture roaming the Midlands
• Dining Out archive
• Immigrant steals £1.2 million from Birmingham Council
• Readers’ letters