Friends name highways worker killed on M6 when hit by driver during police pursuit

Friends of Kevin Jarvis have named him as the man who died when his vehicle was hit just after 5am by a driver in an Audi being pursued by police.

One friend and colleague, Steve Twamley, set up a JustGiving page for Mr Jarvis' widow which had raised more than £5,000 within hours of going live.

Paying tribute on the fundraiser, he said: "Kev Jarvis started out in Traffic Management way back in the very late 80’s to early 90’s.

"He was a very quiet unassuming guy, he didn't ever complain about anything he just got on with his job. I don't doubt that throughout his 30 or so years in traffic management he remained the same.

"I set the page up in an attempt for our industry or in fact anyone to donate to a fund for his widow Julie, must of us can only imagine how tough this will be for the family."

Colleague Andy Henson, from Smethwick, added: "RIP Kev. We do a dangerous job and some think we have it easy but when one of our own dies on the job doing a job he loves [it] hits home."

Mr Jarvis, who was from Southampton, was working on the northbound carriageway of the motorway in Staffordshire between Junction 14 for Stafford and 15 for Stoke when he was killed.

Staffordshire Police said officers were trying to stop the driver of an Audi, which they believed had been "involved in an incident within the West Midlands area", when it crashed into the stationary highways vehicle.

The force said the driver and sole occupant of the highways vehicle, a man in his 40s, was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

A 27-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.

The incident has also been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) due to the police activity prior to the crash.

The crash has led to the closure of the M6 northbound between the two junctions for much of the day, with stranded drivers being turned around on the motorway and heading back south to join the diversion route at Junction 14. The motorway was eventually reopened at mid-afternoon on Saturday after being closed for around nine hours.

"Officers would like to thank drivers for their continued patience and understanding at this time," a Staffordshire Police spokeswoman added.

In a statement National Highways confirmed one of its workers had died.

A spokesman for the agency said: "At National Highways we want everyone to get home safe and well. Tragically this morning this couldn’t happen for one of our roadworkers who was working on the M6 improvement scheme.

"Our thoughts remain with their family, friends and colleagues during this difficult time."

The IOPC also confirmed that it has begun an "independent investigation into police actions" before the fatal crash.

A spokesman said: "An Audi car being pursued by police from the Central Motorway Patrol Group collided with a stationary highways vehicle in a cordoned off roadworks area of the carriageway at 5.14 am.

"The occupant in the stationary vehicle sadly died at the scene. Initial police information indicates that the Audi driver had failed to stop for police around 10 minutes earlier.

"We were notified of the incident by Staffordshire Police and sent investigators to the scene and to the police post-incident procedures this morning to begin our enquiries.”

As of Sunday afternoon more than £5,000 had been raised on the JustGiving page.