Police have issued an update after an incident which saw a section of the M56 closed last night (October 17).
The road was closed between junction two, Sharston Interchange, and junction five for Manchester Airport on Saturday evening due to a collision which GMP has now confirmed left one person dead.
Police said officers saw a vehicle being driven in a dangerous manner and began following it. Following a pursuit and tactical contact, the driver abandoned the vehicle and made off on foot before being involved in a collision with another vehicle.
Greater Manchester Police said: "Shortly before 7.30pm on Saturday 17 October 2026, officers on patrol observed a vehicle being driven in a dangerous manner on the M56.
"Officers began following the vehicle, which was posing a significant risk to members of the public.
"Following a pursuit, tactical contact was made, in line with training. Following this, the driver abandoned their vehicle, made off on foot and was subsequently involved in a collision with another vehicle.
"North West Ambulance Service attended the scene and the driver of the pursued vehicle received emergency medical treatment. Despite the efforts of medical professionals, this individual was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.
"In line with normal procedure following a fatality after police contact, Greater Manchester Police has referred the matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
"This incident has been declared a critical incident while the investigation is ongoing. One man, who was not involved in the initial pursuit has been arrested at the scene."
The road remained closed until the early hours of Sunday (October 18) morning as officers investigated the situation and made enquiries.
Some motorists, who were stuck within the bounds of the police cordon, were unable to leave for several hours.
Other drivers were forced to use diversions to avoid the lengthy queues and congestion.
An investigation is ongoing.
Share