M-way crash victim named

THE man who died in a fatal collision on the M6 near Gretna last week has been named. Costica Balan, 63, from Spalding in Lincolnshire, died after his HGV crashed at 6.42 am last Thursday morning. Emergency services rushed to the scene, on the northbound carriageway near junction 45 at Gretna, but Mr Balan was pronounced dead. He was Romanian and had lived in the UK for the past 16 years, working as an HGV driver. Paying tribute, his family said he was a "beloved husband and father who will be dearly missed by everyone". Cumbria Police have appealed for anyone with any information regarding the collision to report it online via www.cumbria.police.uk/report-it, quoting log number 21 of 2 October 2025, or to call 101. Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.