Dave Knapper

A man died at the scene after a car collided with three lorries on the M6 northbound between junctions 15 and 16 near Stoke-on-Trent at about 4:10 a.m. on August 17. Two lorry drivers were taken to Royal Stoke University Hospital with serious or potentially serious injuries, while a third was treated and released at the scene. The southbound carriageway reopened shortly before 8 a.m., but the northbound section remained closed during the evening as Staffordshire Police investigated and appealed for CCTV or dashcam footage.

A drug‑impaired driver, James Cheetham, led Cheshire Police on a brief 70mph chase in a 30mph zone before crashing into a wall in Winterley. He was arrested after attempting to flee and later tested positive for benzoylecgonine at more than ten times the legal limit. Cheetham received a 15‑month suspended sentence and an 18‑month driving ban from Chester Crown Court, with police stressing the potential danger to pedestrians and requiring an extended test before he can drive again.