Five vehicles were implicated in a collision close to Saint-Rémy in Woippy, in the direction of Thionville-Metz.
The circumstances of the accident have not yet been determined, but one vehicle flipped onto its roof and was consequently hit a number of times by the other cars.
Metz firefighters and a dozen first responders from the Lorraine Alsace motorway unit attended the accident, which happened around 11.30pm on Sunday night.
An 18 year old man died following the crash, while another victim is said to be in critical condition, according to French news outlets Républicain Lorrain and France Bleu Lorraine. Three more people were left with minor injuries following the incident.
Traffic was restricted to one lane on the motorway until 2.30am.
