UPDATE: Man dies in M6 accident on northbound carriageway

11:36am Saturday 15th September 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By Daniel Orr, Reporter

A MAN has died following a two vehicle collision on the M6 earlier this morning which left the northbound carriageway closed.

Just before 6am today (Saturday) a white Transit type van and a vehicle transporter were involved in a collision between junction 35 and the Burton-in-Kendal services.

A spokesman said the 53-year-old transporter driver, of West Yorkshire, was killed and the female passenger was injured and treated in hospital.

A 46-year-old from Warwickshire has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.

He is also being held on suspicion of failing to stop at the scene of an accident.

Police are appealing for witnesses to come forward.

Chief Insp Tim Leeson, investigating the collision, said: "We are currently trying to establish the circumstances surrounding the collision and we would appeal to anyone with any information to come forward.

"We believe that the collision occured just before 6am this morning and so I would appeal to anyone who may have been travelling along the M6 around that time that may have witnessed anything to contact us if they have not already done so by calling 101 and quoting log number 0479.

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"We are currently trying to establish the circumstances surrounding the collision and we would appeal to anyone with any information to come forward."

The northbound carriageway was closed for almost 12 hours while investigations took place and drivers were urged to avoid the area where possible.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact police by calling 101.

Comments(19)

Topp66 says...
6:29pm Sat 15 Sep 12

Shame a loss of life through no fault of your own, I hope they trace the van that was involved and sped off.

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Cas220 says...
6:53pm Sat 15 Sep 12

I believe, according to BBC news, that the driver of the van has been arrested and charged with death by dangerous driving and failing to stop at the scene of an accident. Whenever I hear of a 'transit type' van at fault in a accident and then not stopping my mind always goes to one place.....

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whitevanman2 says...
8:31pm Sat 15 Sep 12

can anyone please tell me why the north bound traffic had to leave the motorway at lancaster ??? only to drive past the carnforth junction 40 mins later ........... most bizare

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Topp66 says...
9:00pm Sat 15 Sep 12

Thanks cas220 I have not been able to catch the news for a update cheers for the info

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mickadoon says...
9:32pm Sat 15 Sep 12

How could the authorities be so utterly stupid as to close the motorway at J34 and send everyone through Lancaster city centre when they could have turned the traffic off at J35? It was taking people 2 hours just to leave the motorway before trying to get through the town. I was southbound and there was nothing at all on the northbound carriageway other than two police cars sneaking past the snarl-ups using their blue lights as an excuse..

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akoken says...
6:25am Sun 16 Sep 12

Actually, mickadoon, traffic leaving at J34 was being diverted up thru Caton and **** to Kirkby Lonsdale then on the A65 to meet J36. This, I guess was due to either J35 having something to do with the build up to the collision or because the route from J34 is more direct to J36? Traffic going thru Lancaster city centre was coming off at J33 Galgate, or was confused as to which way to go when coming off at J34. I was stuck between Forton services and Galgate for over an hour, then saw traffic easing heading up towards J34 so gambled to stay on M6. Motorway was open at J34 but...

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akoken says...
6:36am Sun 16 Sep 12

...soon found I was stuck in another jam at J35. Apparently 1 lane was open past the accident site but traffic was stationary at this point so I chose to come off M6 and use the A6 thru Milnthorpe to get back to Kendal. Needless to say I queued for another hour to get thru Milnthorpe... Delays necessary tho to bring to book the driver at fault who took another's life on the road.

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Reverend Mark says...
10:06am Sun 16 Sep 12

mickadoon wrote:
How could the authorities be so utterly stupid as to close the motorway at J34 and send everyone through Lancaster city centre when they could have turned the traffic off at J35? It was taking people 2 hours just to leave the motorway before trying to get through the town. I was southbound and there was nothing at all on the northbound carriageway other than two police cars sneaking past the snarl-ups using their blue lights as an excuse..
What a stupid comment, mickadoom.
How about organising the aftermath and clear up of a fatality yourself?

I just hope you are never in such a situation and the police have to sneak past snarl ups with their lights on to get to you.

The temporary inconvenience in life for many motorists is nothing compared with the loss of the driver and the suffering of his family.

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life cycle too says...
12:30pm Sun 16 Sep 12

Mickadoon was only reporting what he saw from the opposite carriageway - and I have to say I saw it too, and thought the same.

Having heard the route used as a diversion, I am still puzzled as to why they didn't use the A6 from Gailys roundabout to junction 36 - an all together shorter direct route and more suited for HGVs.

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akoken says...
3:23pm Sun 16 Sep 12

Spoke to a Traffic officer this morning who explained to me they had to close road at J34 as the route from J35 involves a low bridge...? Not sure I know what bridge it is but still, I trust they have sound reasoning for their decision. And the officer stated everyone felt for those caught up in the jams, but it was necessary due to it being a fatal accident and a fail to stop.

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whitevanman2 says...
7:27pm Sun 16 Sep 12

still non the wiser ........... were is this low bridge ??

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akoken says...
7:57pm Sun 16 Sep 12

whitevanman2 wrote:
still non the wiser ........... were is this low bridge ??
I think it's where you bear left at the roundabout thing, at beginning of that stretch of A6 just beyond J35. I'm thinking the alternative there is to use the Burton in Kendal road tho??

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whitevanman2 says...
8:11pm Sun 16 Sep 12

no height restriction at all on the A6 but a HGV ban through Burton although as an emergency this could have been lifted ......... anyway I rejoined at Burton services via the service road ....tut tut

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life cycle too says...
11:08pm Sun 16 Sep 12

Soon after we joined J36 on our way south on Saturday, we saw a solitary vehicle heading north, which presumably had joined via Burton Services.

There IS a low bridge northbound on the A6 just a mile or so from the Gailys roundabout (Pine lake and truckhaven) where the West Coast mainline passes overhead.
The height limit is 16 feet in the centre of the arch, and just 12 feet 3 inches at the edges, so I guess that would prevent just a very few vehicles heading that way... then Milnthorpe and the turn onto the A590 just past Levens might present a difficulty if unprepared.
I still think this would have been the best way to route traffic past the accident site - which was extensive - debris was scattered over several if not hundreds of yards.

One has to feel sorry for the family of the driver when something tragic occurs through no fault of his own, and the perpetrators attempt to flee the scene.

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mickadoon says...
12:01am Mon 17 Sep 12

Yes, the low bridge is Skew Bridge near Pine Lake on the northbound A6, Skew Bridge is fifteen foot nine, you don't need to tell me about it, I pull a sixteen foot trailer. But if they were being sent up through Caton along the A683 to the A65 there's an even lower bridge at Claughton, fifteen foot six! Please forgive me for not mentioning in my post just how saddened I was at the loss of a life, I'm a trucker too.

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mickadoon says...
11:09am Mon 17 Sep 12

Incidentally there is no HGV ban on the A6070 through Burton-in-Kendal, just an agreement between the residents and the operators of Holme Park quarry.

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Lakeuk says...
12:50pm Mon 17 Sep 12

Doesn't really matter where they close of the junction when tragic events result in the motorway being closed, 3 lanes of fast traffic into a single lane of slow traffic is going to very quicky result in very long delays. Alot of the decisions on where to reroute traffic are already setup through those symbols shapes on signs on and close to motorways.

Over the years I've had to plan alternative ways home from the Fydle Coast upto Kendal, one occasion I had to go via Skipton when the M6 at Lancaster Uni was closed for a couple of days and the A6 was chockablock. We're luckily at this end of the M6 that it doesn't happen very often, south of Preston and it's a more regular occurance

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tictoc1 says...
2:57pm Mon 17 Sep 12

Some of the comments above come across as though you're having a moan about the diversions, delays, or you've been inconvenienced due to the fatality. A life was lost that day. Please show a little respect.

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nixon1 says...
12:02pm Thu 20 Sep 12

tictoc1 wrote:
Some of the comments above come across as though you're having a moan about the diversions, delays, or you've been inconvenienced due to the fatality. A life was lost that day. Please show a little respect.
Thank you, we seem as a collective we are far eager to talk about how a disaster has slightly interrupted our daily routine, rather than to understand that measures need to be taken to respect and sympathise with the truely affected (relatives etc).

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