'Good Samaritan' dragged along motorway after driver he stops to help steals van

The man had stopped to help the driver of an overturned lorry on the M602

A man who stopped to help the driver of an overturned lorry is in a critical condition after being dragged along a motorway while attempting to prevent his van from being stolen.

The man had stopped to help on the M602, near Salford, at around 8:30am on Sunday.

Police said that when the 28-year-old got out of his VW Caddy van, leaving the keys in the ignition, the driver of the lorry jumped into the van drove off, dragging the man alongside the vehicle.

The victim was dragged along the motorway “for some distance” before falling off and sustaining serious head injuries, said Greater Manchester Police.

A 43-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

The white VW Caddy was driven onto the M60 towards Stockport but has not yet been recovered.

Detective Sergeant Julie Connor from Salford CID said: “We are keen to trace anyone who witnessed this incident and to recover the stolen VW Caddy van registration DY14 FPN.”

Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact the police.