“In his final moments he gave his life to save the woman he loved”

Pastor David Lalgee tragically died after 'saving his wife' in a horror lorry crash on the M60

19:15, 25 Mar 2025

Heartbreaking tributes have continued to flood in for a man who died after 'saving his wife' in a horror lorry crash on the M60[1] last Thursday (March 20).

David Lalgee, 64, died at the scene of the crash involving a HGV and four cars near to Swinton[2]. Police believe the lorry had lost control and collided with two of the cars, before crossing onto the opposite carriageway and hitting another two vehicles.

David, a pastor in Blackpool, was behind the wheel of one of the four cars alongside his wife, Jo Lalgee, who was a passenger. His family said he saved Jo's life by swerving as he saw the lorry approach and took most of the impact.

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In an emotional tribute online, his step-daughter Connie said he had 'given his life to save the woman he loved' and that in 'his final moments' he 'put others before himself'.

"As many of you may have already seen in the news and across social media, our beloved David tragically lost his life following a road traffic collision on the M60 last Thursday night.

In his final moments, David did what he always did, he put others before himself," she penned on social media.

"With incredible bravery, he protected my mum, placing himself between her and the oncoming lorry that crossed the central reservation. He took the full impact of the crash, giving his life to save the woman he loved.

"No words can truly capture the man that David was. He was a protector, a carer, Pastor of Church Alive in Blackpool and, above all else, a constant presence, a pillar of love and support to so many.

He lived to serve others.

"He became part of our lives seven years ago and left an everlasting mark. The way he loved my mum was a love like no other, filling our home with kindness, warmth, and unwavering support. We will miss him more than words can say."

No one else died following the crash, with a woman in her 20s suffering serious injuries which were not thought to be life-threatening, Greater Manchester Police[4] said last week.

Recalling how the horror unfolded, David's wife Jo said it was a 'miracle' that she survived the crash.

The 57-year-old told MailOnline[5]: "David saved my life.

It was a miracle that I walked away from the accident, he did everything he could to stop the lorry from hitting me.

"He sacrificed his life to save mine and I'll be forever grateful to him for that. When we saw the lorry break through the central reservation, David knew exactly what was going to happen.

"He said to me; 'Ok, here we go'. He manoeuvred the car so that he took the full impact of the lorry.

After the impact, we rolled several times. But the car had been completely crushed. It was a miracle.

The doctors did everything they could for David, but they couldn't save him."

Posting on a GoFundMe page[6] to support the family, David's son-in-law Reuben Morley, who will also be running a 100 mile ultramarathon in his memory, said: "On Thursday (March 20) our hearts were shattered into a thousand pieces as we lost David to a tragic road traffic accident on the M60[7] motorway.

"David was a strong, loving and devoted husband, son, father, grandfather, brother and pastor, and was deeply loved by so many.

"David's last moments on earth were spent how he so often lived, protecting the ones he loved, and because of his heroics on the night, nobody else lost their life."

References

1. ^ M60 (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
2. ^ Swinton (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
3. ^ HERE (chat.whatsapp.com)
4. ^ Greater Manchester Police (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
5. ^ MailOnline (www.dailymail.co.uk)
6. ^ GoFundMe page (www.gofundme.com)
7. ^ M60 (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)