Woman, 19, dies after M40 motorbike crash sees man arrested for dangerous driving

A 19-year-old woman has died after a crash involving three vehicles on the M40 which saw a Maidenhead man arrested on suspicion of causing injury by dangerous driving.

The woman was a passenger on a motorbike being driven by the arrested man, 20, which crashed on the eastbound carriageway between the High Wycombe and Loudwater junctions at around 8.30pm on February 21.

She suffered ‘life-threatening injuries’ and was taken hospital in a ‘critical’ condition. In a statement issued on Wednesday (February 25), police said she had died from her injuries.

Thames Valley Police has renewed an appeal for witnesses of the crash to come forward, while the 20-year-old man has been released on bail until May 12.

Two drivers of other vehicles involved in the crash, a black Volkswagen Polo hatchback and a blue Hyundai Tucson SUV, are assisting the police investigation, the force added.

Police said the woman’s next of kin were being supported by specially trained officers. No other injuries were reported following the crash.

Investigating officer Detective Sergeant Oliver Cahill-Smith, of the Joint Operations Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “Firstly, our thoughts remain with the loved ones of the victim of this collision at this extremely difficult time.

“Following the victim’s sad death, I am re-appealing for any witnesses of this collision or anyone with dash-cam footage relating to it to call 101 or make a report on our website, quoting reference number 43260088366.

“As I said in the our previous appeal, if you were driving on the M40 or the Handy Cross roundabout at around 8.40pm on Saturday and have a dash-cam, please check your recording in case it has captured something that could assist us and get in touch if you have.”

The police statement added: “Anyone with footage or any other digital media that could assist us can also send it to the investigative team directly via this dedicated online portal.”