One dead in 'wrong way' M6 crash

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A man has died in a head-on crash while driving the wrong way on a stretch of the M6 in Cumbria.

Police said the dead man was driving a Ford Focus estate at speeds of up to 80mph when he collided with a Renault Espace at 1730 GMT on Saturday.

The driver of the Espace, a 48-year-old woman from Glasgow and her two sons aged four and 19, were injured. The woman suffered serious leg injuries.

The accident happened between junctions 41 and 42 near Southwaite Services.

The woman had to be cut free from her vehicle and is stable in intensive care at the Cumberland Infirmary.

The 19-year-old was slightly hurt and the four-year-old suffered a fractured arm.

Frantic calls

A spokesman for Cumbria Police said the silver Ford Focus joined the northbound carriageway at junction 43 and began travelling south.

It was seen racing down the hard shoulder prior to crashing two miles north of the services, "terrifying" other motorists, according to police.

Officers said they received frantic calls from other drivers in the area and were already on their way to the scene when the crash happened.

Acting Sergeant Mick Mills, of Cumbria Police's road policing unit, said: "There has been some erratic driving at junction 43 on the roundabout and then he's gone southbound and travelled six or seven miles south and near Southwaite services he's had this collision with the oncoming car.

"He received serious injuries and died at the scene."

Sgt Mills said the car was not believed to have been stolen.

He said toxicology and blood tests would be conducted on the dead man to establish whether he was drunk or on drugs.

Police have appealed for anyone who saw the Focus being "driven erratically" on the M6 to come forward.