A WOMAN has died after being hit by a tanker in a crash which closed the M6 for most of the day yesterday, Sunday.

Police are appealing for any witnesses or anyone with dashcam footage of the fatal collision to come forward.

At around 9.15am, police received a report that a HGV tanker was in collision with a 54-year-old woman on the M6 northbound between junctions 26 for Orrell and 27 for Standish.

Emergency services, including officers from the North West Motorway Police Group, attended and sadly confirmed that the woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the red Volvo heavy goods tanker stopped at the scene and is helping police with their enquires.

It is believed that the pedestrian had parked her silver Volkswagen Golf on the hard shoulder shortly before the incident took place.

The motorway was shut following the crash and remained closed throughout the day until around 9pm.

Diversions were put in place as drivers became stuck within the closure for a number of hours, with long tailbacks developing back to Winwick.

Chief inspector Simon Owen said: “We can confirm that sadly a woman has died following a collision on the M6, and our thoughts and condolences are very much with the family.

“Her next of kin has been informed and is being supported by specialist family liaison officers.

“An investigation into the collision has been launched, and we would urge anyone who witnessed the incident or has dashcam footage to please contact us.

“Any footage or information could be vital in establishing what happened.”

DS Kurt Timpson, from Merseyside Police’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, added: “Our thoughts are with her family at this sad time, and they are being supported by specially trained police officers.

“We know that there was a large amount of motorists on this stretch of the M6 motorway at Appley Bridge, near Lower Standish, that were travelling across the country at this time.

“Therefore, I appeal to those who were using this stretch of motorway between 9.05am and 9.15am and witnessed this collision, or in lead up to it, to please contact us as a matter of urgency.

“I also appeal to motorists to please check your dashcam footage, including those who have rear cameras fitted on their vehicles, to please review your footage to see if it has captured the incident in the lead up to the collision.

“It is our priority to get answers for the woman’s family, so any information from the those on the motorway in the lead up to the collision could be vital to our investigation.”

Anyone who witnessed the collision or captured anything on CCTV or dashcam is asked to contact Merseyside Police’s serious collision investigations unit.

To do so, call 0151 777 5747, quoting reference 23000776794, or email SCIU@merseyside.police.uk