Police appeal after Wigan man dies in serious crash

A Wigan man has died and a woman was taken to hospital after a crash.
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Their Peugeot car collided with a white flatbed truck, which had been converted into a campervan, on the A65 near Ingleton.

Police said the accident happened between Clapham and Ingleton, just north of the turn off to Bentham, at about 4.15pm on Friday.

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A passenger in the Peugeot, a 28-year-old man from Wigan, was pronounced dead at the scene. His name has not yet been released by the police.

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A 21-year-old woman from Wigan, who was driving the car, was taken to hospital but later discharged.

The driver of the converted campervan, a 28-year-old man from the Halifax area, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and driving while unfit through drink or drugs.

He has now been released while under investigation to allow for further police enquiries.

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Three other men travelling in the campervan sustained minor injuries.

A third vehicle, a decommissioned ambulance, believed to be in convoy with the campervan, left the scene.

Police officers pursued the vehicle before it collided with the barrier of a level crossing at Kildwick and stopped on the train tracks.

The driver, a 41-year-old man from Halifax, ran from the vehicle, but was found a short time later with help from the National Police Air Service and was arrested.

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He has now been charged with dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, failing to stop for the police, failing to provide a specimen for analysis, obstructing a railway and driving without insurance.

Police said these charges were in relation to the pursuit and collision with the level crossing and he was not under investigation for the fatal collision.

He is due to appear at Skipton Magistrates’ Court tomorrow.

Police are appealing for anyone with dashcam footage to come forward, as well as anyone who saw either the converted campervan or the decommissioned ambulance travelling along the A65 prior to the crash, and anyone who witnessed the crash.

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A police spokesman said: "The converted campervan was quite distinctive due to the crudeness of its conversion.

"The decommissioned ambulance used its blue lights during its journey towards Skipton.

"Officers are appealing to anyone who may have seen the 'ambulance', which also had livery on it, or has any dashcam footage of its journey, to contact them. Members of the public may have believed it was a real ambulance due to the use of its blue lights."