I think he was trying to run me off the road. In my book it was attempted murder.
On a busy October afternoon on the M60 near Manchester, a deliberate act of aggression at motorway speed reminded us how quickly the anonymity of the road can become a space of danger and impunity. A courier and his partner were rammed twice by a van whose driver left no traceable identity behind — no insurance, no registration, no accountability. What followed was not only a collision of vehicles but a collision between a victim's lived terror and the measured language of institutional response. The road has moved on; the man behind the wheel has not yet been found.
- A green van struck a couple's car twice at 70mph on the M60, and the driver then reversed at speed toward them on a slip road — an act the victim describes as attempted murder.
- The passenger, mother of three, sat helpless throughout; had the driver lost control at highway speed, the consequences could have been fatal for everyone involved.
- The van turned out to be uninsured, untaxed, and without a registered keeper — a ghost vehicle whose driver has so far evaded all identification.
- The victim sustained £1,200 in vehicle damage and was left psychologically shaken enough to take sick leave, compounding the physical harm with lasting personal cost.
- Weeks of silence from investigators prompted the victim to file a formal complaint, exposing a painful gap between his account of deliberate violence and police language describing a 'minor collision.'
- The investigation remains open, no arrests have been made, and police are appealing to the public for information as the driver remains at large.
Danny Eskdale was travelling at seventy miles per hour on the M60 near the Trafford Centre on the afternoon of October 9th, his partner Amanda beside him, when a green Volkswagen Caddy appeared in his mirror and made contact with his bumper. He assumed it was accidental — until the van's driver began flashing lights and gesturing. Hemmed in by traffic ahead, Eskdale held his position. The Caddy then moved into the middle lane and struck the Mazda's rear panel hard enough to require a sharp correction of the wheel. Eskdale was convinced the driver was trying to force him off the road.
When the van exited at junction 6 near Sale, Eskdale followed to get the registration. The Caddy stopped on the slip road and reversed at speed toward him, forcing Eskdale to reverse in turn to avoid a direct hit. The whole episode lasted only minutes, but it left him telling police he believed he had narrowly survived an attempt on his life. His partner — a mother of three — had been in the passenger seat throughout.
The aftermath compounded the trauma. Repairs to the Mazda came to £1,200, and Eskdale's psychological state deteriorated enough that he took sick leave. He reported the attack the same day and provided police with a photograph and the van's registration. When weeks passed without visible progress, he filed a formal complaint.
Greater Manchester Police confirmed they received the report on October 11th. Their account described the initial contact as a minor collision and noted that the van's reversal on the slip road did not result in a second impact. The Caddy fled the scene, and enquiries revealed it was uninsured, untaxed, and had no registered keeper. No arrests have been made.
The distance between Eskdale's account of repeated deliberate ramming at motorway speed and the police description of a minor collision captures the frustration at the heart of this case. The driver remains unidentified, the investigation remains open, and Eskdale remains waiting — for answers, and for someone to come forward.
Danny Eskdale was doing seventy miles per hour in the fast lane of the M60, heading toward the Trafford Centre with his partner Amanda beside him, when a green Volkswagen Caddy appeared in his rear-view mirror and nudged his bumper. It was October 9th, mid-afternoon, and the motorway was busy. Eskdale, a courier who drives for a living, thought at first the contact was accidental. Then the van's driver began flashing lights and gesturing. There was nowhere for Eskdale to move—a car sat directly ahead—so he held his line. The Caddy pulled into the middle lane and rammed the Mazda's rear offside panel hard enough that Eskdale had to correct his steering to keep the car from spinning. He was certain the driver meant to force him off the road.
When the van exited at junction 6 near Sale, Eskdale followed, determined to get the registration number. The Caddy stopped abruptly on the slip road, then reversed at speed directly toward him. Eskdale had to reverse his own car to avoid being struck. The encounter lasted only minutes, but it left him shaken enough that he later told police he believed he had narrowly escaped attempted murder. His partner, who has three children, sat in the passenger seat throughout. Had Eskdale lost control during either impact, the consequences could have been catastrophic.
The damage to his Mazda cost twelve hundred pounds to repair. More significantly, the incident affected Eskdale's mental state severely enough that he went on sick leave from work. He reported the attack to police on the day it happened and provided them with a photograph of the van and its registration number. But weeks passed with no apparent progress, prompting him to file a formal complaint about the police response.
Greater Manchester Police confirmed they received the report on October 11th and launched an investigation. Their statement acknowledged that a green Volkswagen Caddy had been involved in what they termed a minor collision with the Mazda in the outside lane, and that the van had attempted to reverse into the Mazda on the slip road, though they noted the vehicles did not make contact during that second maneuver. The Caddy fled the scene. Subsequent enquiries revealed the vehicle was uninsured, had no registered keeper, and had not been taxed. No arrests have been made, and the investigation remains open.
The discrepancy between Eskdale's account—two deliberate ramming impacts at highway speed—and the police characterization of a minor collision underscores the frustration that prompted his complaint. From his perspective, sitting in a car being struck repeatedly by another vehicle while traveling at seventy miles per hour is not a minor matter. The police appeal for information continues, asking anyone who witnessed the incident or has details about the van to contact them via their LiveChat, by calling 101, or through Crimestoppers. The case number is 2777 of October 11th, 2021. For now, the driver remains unidentified, and Eskdale remains waiting for resolution.
Notable Quotes
It happened out of nowhere. The van appeared in my mirror, nudged my bumper, then deliberately rammed my rear offside panel. I had to fight the steering to keep from spinning.— Danny Eskdale, victim
The VW Caddy was uninsured, without a registered keeper, and had not been taxed. An investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been made.— Greater Manchester Police statement
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
When you say he rammed you twice, were these separate impacts or one continuous collision?
Two distinct impacts. The first was a nudge to my rear bumper while I was in the fast lane. Then he pulled alongside into the middle lane and hit my rear offside panel deliberately. Both times I had to fight the steering to keep the car stable.
And you were certain it was intentional, not road rage escalation from something you did?
I hadn't done anything. He appeared out of nowhere, started flashing and gesturing immediately. I was in heavy traffic with nowhere to move. There was no provocation on my part.
Why did you follow him off the motorway?
I wanted his registration number. I thought if I could get that, police could find him. I didn't expect him to stop and reverse at me.
The police called it a minor collision. How did that land with you?
It felt dismissive. When you're being hit repeatedly at seventy miles per hour, when you're fighting to keep your car from spinning, when your passenger has children depending on her—that's not minor. That's terrifying.
What's the hardest part now, months later?
Not knowing who did it. Not knowing if he's still out there. And the not knowing from police about what happens next. You report something you think is serious, you provide evidence, and then silence.