POLICE are appealing for witnesses to come forward after a serious crash on the M56.

A 41-year-old man was rushed to Aintree Hospital after a yellow van was discovered on its side on the embankment of the westbound exit slip road of the motorway at junction 12 for Runcorn at around 10.30am on Thursday, February 10.

It is believed that the recovery van left the road before colliding with a tree, with no other vehicles thought to have been involved.

The casualty, from Birmingham, remains in a serious condition as of this morning, Monday.

An air ambulance was called to the scene, although the patient was transported to hospital by road.

Cheshire Police are now urging anyone with information to contact officers.

Police constable Eoin Anderson, from the force’s roads and crime unit, said: “At this stage we are unsure how the collision occurred and are appealing for witnesses or anyone who may have information to come forward.

“Perhaps you saw the van travelling on the M56 that morning or have dashcam footage that could assist us in piecing together what has happened.

“Any information, no matter how small, could really assist with our investigation.”

Anyone with information should contact the constabulary on 101, quoting incident number IML1198163.