Blog Preston asked the organisations responsible for road safety – and who formed a coalition aimed at improving safety and tackling issues on Lancashire’s motorways earlier this year – for how it could be a fatal crash went undiscovered for so long.
Lancashire Constabulary, National Highways, Lancashire County Council and the Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner all declined to comment when approached with the questions below, with each organisation sending us to other organisations to seek comment.
Ribble Valley MP Maya Ellis, who along with other MPs had brought together the M6 taskforce, has now written to the Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw – a post her government plans to abolish – to demand answers to our questions.
In the letter seen by Blog Preston, Ellis writes: “The publication approached me because of my role in convening the Lancashire M6 Partnership and I’ve advised that we’re not going to comment as a partnership.
“However, given that we are attempting as a group to tackle some of the prevailing issues around the motorway network, it would be useful to understand how something like this can happen.
“Although I know an investigation will be ongoing into the collision, Blog Preston is understandably concerned that it took so long to find the deceased and keen to prevent this delayed discovery process happening again in future.”
She reiterates the questions we put to the organisations involved:
- How can this happen on a stretch of major motorway, and at the intersection of three key routes?
- Why was the vehicle not picked up by security cameras, either in the lead-up to the collision or afterwards?
- Was there any damage to the hard shoulder/barriers and, if so, why wasn’t this picked up?
Ellis also asks for reassurance the family of the deceased – who has not been named at this stage – is being supported with any questions they have about the incident.
Police closed the M61 for around 10 hours while they worked at the scene on Monday and are continuing to appeal for information.
Sergeant Bex Price, of Lancashire Constabulary’s Road Policing Unit, said: “This collision has very sadly resulted in a man losing his life and I would appeal to anyone who has any information or footage which may have captured this vehicle prior to the collision to get in touch.”
If you can help you can call 101 quoting log 0074 of March 23rd. You can also email the Serious Collision Investigation Unit at [email protected]
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