M6 high speed police chase ends up with car crashed in field, man detained and motorway closed

A man has been detained after driving a Ford Fiesta at speed up the M6 before crashing into field following a police chase.

The incident ended on the northbound carriageway at junction 36 at around 2.48pm on Saturday (May 14). It had begun in Greater Manchester and travelled all the way through Lancashire before crashing in southern Cumbria.

Police were called to a concern for welfare of a man travelling in a Ford Fiesta. The car was being driven at a high speed down the motorway before leaving the carriageway and crashing onto a field. Emergency services rushed to the scene.

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The driver was unharmed but a fire started within the engine bay after he had left the car. To help emergency services deal with the issue, the carriageway was closed.

A man, in his 20s, was detained under the Mental Health Act.

A spokesperson for Lancashire Police told LancsLive: "We received a call from our colleagues at Greater Manchester Police at 2.48pm yesterday (May 14) regarding a concern for welfare of a man travelling in a Ford Fiesta. The vehicle was seen travelling at significant speed on the northbound carriageway of the M6.

"As the Fiesta was travelling up the northbound carriageway at Junction 36 it has left the carriageway and landed in a field. Police officers were quickly on scene. The driver fortunately walked away unharmed. After the driver had got out of the Fiesta, a fire started within the engine bay of the vehicle.

"The north-bound carriageway was temporarily closed to enable the emergency services to deal with the fire. A man in his 20s was detained under The Mental Health Act."