Man dies in crash on Accrington Road, Hapton

Emergency services were called to Accrington Road, Hapton, on Sunday evening and a man was airlifted to hospital with major head trauma.

Police have confirmed that the man, 29, died in hospital later that evening.

A woman passenger was taken to hospital as a precaution.

Because the incident involved a police pursuit after the driver refused to stop, the force has referred the matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

The scene of the crash on Accrington Road, near Hapton

A spokesperson for the police said: "Around 7pm on Sunday a vehicle, a Nissan X-Trail, was seen by police officers driving at speed southbound along the A56. 

"The driver failed to stop and a short pursuit followed.

"A short time later, while out of sight of the police car, the vehicle was involved in a collision after leaving the carriageway on Accrington Road.

"The driver, a 29-year-old man, was taken to Royal Preston Hospital, but sadly passed away later in the evening.

"A female passenger in the vehicle remains in hospital being treated for her injuries. 

"A road closure remains in place on Accrington Road at this time.

"As is routine practice for incidents of this nature we have referred this matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC)."

A spokesperson for the fire service said that around 7.15pm on Sunday, they were called to Accrington Road, close to the junction of the M65 near Network 65 business park.

One vehicle that was travelling towards the roundabout close to the motorway junction had left the road, gone through a fence, and taken some trees out before landing on its side on a grass embankment.

The fire service spokesperson said: "It happened close to an old pub near the industrial site. 

"There were people living in the pub and luckily they were on scene to help out and call the ambulance and police.

"The police arrived very quickly and it appeared a female passenger had walked away from the crash.

"The car was on its side and one other person, a male, had his leg trapped behind the steering wheel but he was in a very bad condition.

"We believe the man had a serious head injury and was in a very bad way."

Paramedics and an air ambulance arrived and fire crews helped to remove the man from the car before he was treated at the side of the road and then flown to hospital.

The woman, who is in her 20s, was taken to hospital as a precaution.

A spokesperson for the ambulance service said: "We took a man in his 30s to hospital in a critical condition following an RTC on Accrington Road, Hapton.

"We received a call from the police at 19.11.

"A woman in her 20s was also taken to the hospital for further assessment."

A spokesperson for the IOPC said: "We are independently investigating after a vehicle being pursued by police crashed in Hapton, Lancashire, on Sunday.

“The driver, 29, was taken to Royal Preston Hospital, where he sadly later died.

"His passenger, in their 20s, was also taken to hospital for treatment.

“We received a mandatory referral from Lancashire Police and sent an investigator to the scene of the collision.

“Our thoughts are with the man’s family and all those affected by his death.”