Crossbow man sparks M55 closure chaos

A fugitive suffered serious injuries to his own head after firing a crossbow at the side of the M55, police have revealed.
By The Newsroom
Published 1st Jul 2014, 10:29 BST
Broughton roundabout with the M55Broughton roundabout with the M55
Broughton roundabout with the M55

At 2.30am on Tuesday, a police officer came across a man in a vehicle on Beacon Fell armed with a crossbow.

The officer retreated to a safe distance at which point the man drove off at speed, a Lancashire Police spokesman said

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The vehicle was pursued by police and was eventually stopped on the M55 eastbound link to the M6 southbound around 3.30am.

The man then fired the crossbow which caused him to suffer a serious head injury.

It is not clear if he was firing at police or at himself when the injury happened.

He was taken to Royal Preston Hospital where he is currently in a stable condition.

The motorway was closed until around 7.45am.

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Lancashire Police has confirmed the incident has now been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) to investigate, but stressed this is standard practice.

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Related topics:Lancashire PoliceM55