A road worker has died after a car police were chasing crashed into his vehicle on the M6. Staffordshire police said the man who was killed was in his 40s and was the driver and sole occupant of what they described as a “highways vehicle”.
It had been stationary and in a cordoned-off roadworks area of the carriageway when the crash happened on Saturday morning.
A 27-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and remains in police custody.
According to the Staffordshire police, officers had been trying to stop an Audi – which they believed had been involved in an incident within the West Midlands area – shortly after 5am on the M6 northbound between junctions 14 and 15 when the car collided with the highways vehicle.
Police said the man in the stationary vehicle was pronounced dead by paramedics a short time later. His next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers.
Staffordshire police said the incident has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) owing to the police activity before the collision.
An IOPC spokesperson said: “We have begun an independent investigation into police actions prior to a fatal traffic collision on the M6 northbound between junction 14 and 15 this morning (Saturday).
“An Audi car being pursued by police from the central motorway patrol group collided with a stationary highways vehicle in a cordoned off roadworks area of the carriageway at 5.14 am.
“The occupant in the stationary vehicle sadly died at the scene. Initial police information indicates that the Audi driver had failed to stop for police around 10 minutes earlier.
“We were notified of the incident by Staffordshire police and sent investigators to the scene and to the police post-incident procedures this morning to begin our inquiries.”
A National Highways spokesperson said: “At National Highways we want everyone to get home safe and well. Tragically this morning this couldn’t happen for one of our road workers who was working on the M6 improvement scheme. Our thoughts remain with their family, friends and colleagues during this difficult time.”
Staffordshire police has been contacted for an update.
