A man has died following a crash on the M6 involving a van and a lorry, in which one of the vehicles caught fire. The victim has been named by police as Vadim Suflet, 41.
The collision occurred on the M6 northbound between junctions 23 and 24 on Sunday night, Merseyside Police said. Emergency crews were called to the scene between junction 23 at Newton-le-Willows and junction 24 at Ashton-in-Makerfield at approximately 9.55pm.
Victim pronounced dead at the scene
Mr Suflet, who had been driving the van, was declared dead at the scene. His family is receiving support from specialist officers, police confirmed. The lorry driver remained at the scene and is helping police with their investigation.
The northbound carriageway remained shut on Monday, with diversions in operation as emergency resurfacing works continue. Motorists are urged to allow additional time for their journeys and consult the National Highways website before setting off.
Road closure extended due to damage
National Highways confirmed the closure was anticipated to stay in effect throughout Monday and "into the night" due to substantial damage to the road surface caused by the blaze and a major fuel leak.
In a statement, the agency 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 10pm last night (October 18)."
"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 7.30am."
"Lanes 1, 2 and 3 (of 4) require full resurfacing, and due to safety requirements, lane 4 also needs to remain closed until the works are completed." National Highways confirmed there is currently no estimated timeframe for when the northbound carriageway will reopen.
Police appeal for witnesses
Detective Sergeant Andy Roper, from Merseyside Police's Matrix Serious Collision Investigation Unit (SCIU), has made an urgent appeal for witnesses to step forward.
He 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."
