Several people have been airlifted to hospital with serious injuries following a motorway pile-up involving eight vehicles, emergency services said.
The accident occurred on the northbound carriageway of the M5 at Cullompton, near Exeter, Devon, shortly before 9pm on Thursday.
The road was closed in both directions as firefighters cut people from the wreckage.
Seven people received serious injuries in the crash and were transported by helicopter to a nearby hospital. Others were treated at the scene by paramedics.
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue sent six appliances to the scene.
On arrival emergency workers found that a number of people remained trapped in their vehicles. Using specialist cutters and thermal imaging cameras, firefighters were able to locate and release five people, with a further person needing assistance from a vehicle.
A spokeswoman for Devon Police said both the north and south carriageways were closed during the rescue operation. She added that a number of those injured remained in a serious condition.
Among those taken to hospital in the incident were a one-year-old girl and her parents, from Essex. The baby was admitted as a precaution, while both adults have a good prognosis, emergency services said.
A 21-year-old woman taken to Derriford Hospital is in a critical condition following the crash. All other injuries are thought to be non-life threatening.
The northbound M5 later reopened.
