A 41-year-old man has died following a collision between a van and a lorry on the M6 in Greater Manchester, with the motorway's northbound carriageway remaining closed almost 24 hours later.
Vadim Suflet was pronounced dead at the scene after the crash, which happened between junction 23 for Newton-le-Willows and junction 24 for Ashton-in-Makerfield at around 9.55pm on Sunday, October 18.
The collision caused one of the vehicles to catch fire, severely damaging the road surface and leaving a large fuel spillage. Police investigations continued overnight and into Monday morning, with emergency resurfacing work keeping the northbound carriageway closed throughout the day.
Road Surface Requires Full Resurfacing
Merseyside Police confirmed Mr Suflet's identity and said specialist officers were supporting his family. The lorry driver stopped at the scene and is assisting police with their enquiries.
The southbound carriageway reopened at around 7.30am on Monday after being closed during the initial investigation. However, the northbound side remained shut as of 6.30pm, with no confirmed reopening time.
National Highways said the collision had caused significant damage to the road surface, meaning lanes one, two and three of the four-lane carriageway required full resurfacing. Lane four must also remain closed until the work is completed for safety reasons.
Police Appeal for Witnesses and Dashcam Footage
In a statement, National Highways said: "The M6 in Greater Manchester is closed northbound between J23 (Newton Le Willows) and J24 (Ashton In Makerfield). This is to allow for emergency resurfacing works to take place following a serious collision which occurred just prior to 22:00 last night (18.10.26)."
"The collision, involving a van and a lorry, resulted in one of the vehicles catching fire. This resulted in significant damage to the road surface from the fire and also a large fuel spillage. Police collision investigation works took place throughout the night and into the morning under a full closure of the road in both directions. The southbound carriageway re-opened at approximately 07:30 this morning. Lanes 1, 2 and 3 (of 4) require fully resurfacing, and due to safety requirements, lane 4 also needs to remain closed until the works are completed."
"The road is expected to remain closed throughout the day and into the evening. There is currently no estimated time for the road re-opening."
Police are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage to help establish the circumstances surrounding the fatal collision.
Detective Sergeant Andy Roper, from Merseyside Police's Matrix Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: "First and foremost, our heartfelt condolences are with Vadim's loved ones at this extremely difficult time. Our priority is to provide support and answers to his family to establish what happened, and to this end we are appealing for any witnesses to come forward as a matter of urgency."
"From initial enquiries, we know that a number of vehicles were in the vicinity of the collision at the time or immediately prior. If you were passing this incident and think you may have captured something on dashcam devices, please check and come forward, whether you were travelling on the northbound or southbound carriageways. You may hold vital evidence to assist our work."
How to Report Information
Anyone with information is asked to contact Merseyside Police's Serious Collision Investigation Unit on 0151 777 5747, quoting incident reference 26000857221. Information can also be sent to Merseyside Police via Facebook or X at @MerPolCC, or through its online reporting service.
Motorists are advised to allow extra time for their journeys, consider alternative routes and check the National Highways website for the latest updates before travelling.
