M6 delays between Preston and Lancaster due to police chasing dangerous driver

The speeding car was spotted by officers heading north from Preston, between Junction 32 and Junction 33, at around 8pm on Thursday (September 29).

The police car was undertaken at high speed by a Ford Focus which continued to drive dangerously, undertaking other vehicles using the hard shoulder and clocked speeding at 130mph.

Officers gave chase and the car was later abandoned within roadworks with two people running off into fields where they were tracked by the police helicopter close to the railway line near Garstang.

A police spokesperson said: “You may have heard about an incident on the M6 yesterday, or even been caught up in it, and we wanted to tell you what had happened.

“At about 8pm one of our Road Crime Team cars was traveling north on the motorway when it was undertaken at high speed by a Ford Focus.

"The Focus continued to drive dangerously undertaking other vehicles on the hard shoulder and at times reached speeds of 130mph.

“Following a pursuit, the car was abandoned in some roadworks and two people ran off into the fields but were tracked by the police helicopter close to the railway line at Stubbins.

“The pair managed to get on to the railway line from where rocks were thrown at police.

“A train also had to stop as the man stood in front of it smoking a cigarette!

“Following the stand-off, the two were arrested.”

Arrests

A 33-year-old man from St Helens has been arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving, drink driving, failing to stop and trespass on the railway. He remains in custody.

Rebecca Mitchell, 21, of Vicarage Road, Haydock has been charged with trespass in proximity of railway / on railway property. She will appear at Preston Magistrates court on January 5, 2024.