Death of man (32) causes m-way chaos

Officers closed the the M6 in both directions overnight to examine the scene after the driver was killed when he abandoned his vehicle on the southbound hard shoulder and tried to escape by jumping the central barrier.

Police say he was hit by a car travelling north and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The motorway was closed between junctions 27 and 28 from around 9-20pm on Sunday until 8-30am on Monday. Long rush hour queues built up on the M6, M61 and M55, with traffic being diverted on to A-roads to get around the incident.

A Lancashire Police spokesman said the driver had failed to stop for a police patrol in the Blackpool area around 9pm yesterday and drove off at speed in a grey Ford Focus Sport.

He set off eastbound on the M55 before joining the southbound carriageway of the M6.

At 9-20pm the man finally pulled over on to the hard shoulder around a mile north of the Charnock Richard services, got out of the car and tried to cross three lanes on foot.

He managed to get over the central barrier but was hit by a car on the northbound carriageway, police. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

An investigation into the incident was launched and police appealed for anyone who witnessed the crash to contact them on 101.

The incident has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.