THE death of a 68-year-old man who was quizzed by police an hour before he was killed while walking on the motorway will not be investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

The contact between Stephen Hayes and a police officer in the run-up to his death on April 11 was referred to the police watchdog to assess whether correct procedures had been followed.

Now the IPCC has decided not to investigate the incident.

Before his death, officers found Mr Hayes in Blackrod and because his car was “undriveable”, they dropped him off at Rivington Service Station, close to where he died.

Mr Hayes, from Blackpool, was killed when he was hit by the heavy goods vehicle on the M61, just north of Rivington Services, between Junctions Six and Eight of the M61.

The Bolton News revealed earlier this week that police received a report at 12.30am of a car being driven dangerously in Blackrod.

Details of the vehicle were circulated and the car was found outside Blackrod Primary School in Manchester Road in a “damaged” and “undriveable” condition.

Mr Hayes was found close to the car by an officer. He passed a roadside breath test and was also checked on police computer systems.

A police spokesman said the force was informed a short time later that Mr Hayes had been hit by a lorry on the motorway.

IPCC guidelines dictate that cases like Mr Hayes’ should be referred to the watchdog to ensure the police followed the correct procedure and ensured the person in question was in a healthy state of mind when left by officers.

A spokesman added: “The death of a man who was struck by a vehicle on the M61 motorway was referred to the IPCC by Greater Manchester Police on April 11. Following an assessment of the material in the referral, the matter was referred back to the force for local investigation.”