Woman suffers serious injuries after motorway smash with HGV tanker

The Western Area Roads Policing Unit would like to speak to anyone who saw the collision at 4.15pm on Friday July 4 between an orange VW Polo and a Mercedes HGV tanker just before Hartshead Moor services on junction 26.

They would also like to speak to the driver of a silver Ford Focus which was reported to have been involved in an earlier incident with the VW Polo in the build up to the collision.

While enquiries remain ongoing officers are investigating reports that while the occupants of the Polo had been travelling in lane three between junctions 24 and 25 at about 4.10pm, a silver Ford Focus approached from behind at speed and flashed its headlights.

It is believed the Polo pulled over into lane two and was then overtaken by the Focus which pulled in front of the Polo and braked causing the driver to have to brake harshly.

As the Polo reached the exit slip road to Hartshead Moor services in lane two, the driver started to overtake a vehicle in lane one and realised it was the same Focus.

The driver of the Focus is then reported to have steered to the right and moved in to lane two in front of the Polo and then braked heavily, causing the Polo to also break heavily to avoid colliding with the Focus, resulting in the collision with the tanker.

The Focus then left the scene and was last seen exiting at junction 26 and driving up the M606.

A 51-year-old Bradford woman who was a front seat passenger in the Polo suffered serious injuries and remains in hospital where her condition is described as serious but stable.

PC 4716 Peter Doyle, said: “We would urge anyone who has witnessed any part of this incident or who believes they saw this Ford Focus and can provide any further detail about the vehicle to make contact. Similarly, we would ask the driver of the Ford Focus to contact police to give their account of this incident.

“Anyone with information should call the Western Area Safer Roads Unit on 101.”