East Lancs Road tragedy as man dies in crash with two arrested

The major road was closed off for several hours near Wigan following the crash on Monday evening

10:09, 09 Jun 2026

The East Lancashire Road at Haydock(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)

A man has sadly died and two people have been arrested following a crash on the East Lancashire Road.

The smash happened on the major A580 road[1], which connects Greater Manchester and Merseyside, in Haydock, near Wigan[2], at around 11pm on Monday night (June 8). Police said emergency crews responded to reports of a crash between a motorbike and a HGV on the westbound side of the road.

The rider of the bike, a man aged in his 40s, sadly died on the scene. His family have been informed, Merseyside Police said.

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Officers believe two HGVs were involved in the incident.

One was involved in the direct crash with the motorbike, while a second HGV 'may have been indirectly involved in the circumstances leading up to the collision'.

Two men have been arrested. A 28-year-old man, from the Widnes area, has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving, driving while unfit through drugs, and driving a motor vehicle with a proportion of a controlled drug above the specified limit.

A second man, aged 38 and from Carmarthenshire, has also been arrested on suspicion of causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving and driving while unfit through drugs. Both men remain in custody.

Investigations are continuing at the scene of the crash.

The road was closed off for several hours overnight and into this morning as emergency crews responded.

Police now want to speak to any witnesses of the crash, which happened between Penny Lane and Kenyons Lane South, or anyone who has footage. Detective Sergeant Andy Roper, from Merseyside Police's Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: "Our thoughts are with the man's family at this incredibly difficult time.

"An investigation is ongoing and I would appeal to anyone who was travelling in the area at the time to check their dashcam footage for anything that may assist our enquiries, including footage of the collision itself or the moments leading up to it.

"Front and rear dashcams can often capture vital evidence without the driver realising. We are particularly keen to review any footage showing either of the HGVs or the motorcycle involved in order to help establish exactly what happened.

"To assist potential witnesses, I can confirm that both HGVs believed to be involved were towing white trailers.

One cab was dark in colour and the other was white with black stripes.

"Although two people have been arrested, we are still very keen to hear from anyone who witnessed the incident or saw the vehicles beforehand.

No matter how insignificant the information may seem, it could prove vital to our investigation."

Anyone with information or footage should contact police on (0151) 777 5747 or email [email protected][4], quoting incident reference 26000456942.

You can also send a direct message to @MerPolCC on X or Facebook, or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via their website here[5].

References

1. ^ The smash happened on the major A580 road (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
2. ^ Wigan (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
3. ^ Click here (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
4. ^ [email protected] (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
5. ^ here (crimestoppers-uk.org)