A FATHER-of-two was fighting for his life today after his wife apparently set fire to him before jumping to her death from a motorway bridge.
There was chaos on the M60 when officers closed the motorway for several hours after the woman jumped in front of a lorry at 2.30pm yesterday.
Just 15 minutes earlier neighbours at The Fairway in New Moston, Manchester, had called 999 after seeing a human fireball run from the back of the family home crying for help.
The man, aged 50, who is understood to be separated from his wife, suffered horrendous burns after he was doused in petrol and set alight at the family home.
Neighbours described how he frantically tried to stop the flames burning his face when workmen ran to his rescue. Decorators working at a house opposite rushed to wrap the man in dustsheets to try to put out the blaze while others ran for buckets of water.
The man screamed in agony, telling neighbours "she's burned me", before the two brave decorators managed to get him on the ground and douse him with water to put out the flames engulfing his face, legs and back.
Minutes later the wife was seen running from the house with smouldering burns to her hands.
Neighbours tried to stop her leaving, but the distraught mother sped away in a red Golf GTI.
Tailbacks
Police believe that the woman then headed to a bridge spanning the M60 just a few minutes from the house, between Junction 22 at Oldham and Junction 23 at Ashton under Lyne, where she jumped off into oncoming traffic.
The motorway was shut at Junction 22 for four hours causing long tailbacks of rush-hour traffic stretching back more than five miles to Junction 19 near Middleton before officers finally re-opened the carriageway at 6.30pm.
One neighbour described the horrific scene at the house: "I saw black smoke coming from the house and I thought the car was on fire, then I saw him shouting `I'm on fire'.
"The flames were all over him, from his face down to his shoes. I didn't even recognise him.
"Then she came running out of the house. She was frantic and her arms and hair was burned. We tried to stop her driving off but she locked the car and the last thing she said was that she was going to the hospital before she sped off."
The tragedy has devastated the couple's 24-year-old son, who is a police officer, and their 16-year-old daughter who was at school when it happened.
The man, who works as a salesman, is now in a critical condition at Wythenshawe Hospital after being transferred from North Manchester General for specialist treatment as burns cover more than 30 per cent of his body.
Police cordoned off the family home to investigate last night and confirmed that they believe the two incidents are linked. A spokesman said: "At this time the two incidents are being linked but officers are still investigating the circumstances."
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think of the poor person that was driving the lorry. If she was hit by the driver this will affect him for the rest of his life also, and maybe that of his family too. I trust that he will be adequatley compensanted with counseling and recompensed for any financlial losses he may suffer as a result of this one persons actions. The other drivers on the M60 also shouldbe asked if they need any sort of help if they witnessed this incident.
The total disregard for anyone else , even for those people who where inconvenienced driving home like myself. I know this might sound self centered from my point of view but I get up early enough to go to work and dont wish to have to spend two and a half hours getting home for what should be a half hour journey.
A very sad thing to happen, however I must say that the woman was terribly selfish. What about the poor people on the M60? If somebody has problems, and they feel like suicide is the only resolution, then inflicting this upon other people is apalling. If I was on the M60 yesterday and saw this, I don't think my happy and normal life would be the same again. My heart goes out to the poor lorry driver. I hope he can carry on with his job!
I think the two previous comments are bang out of order!! The lady may have had a lot off issues!! think how you would feel if you were 16 and people were saying how selfish your mum was who'd just commited sucided!!! I'm sure she is upset enough!! I'm sure the women who jumped didn't mean to cause an inconvenience to your journey home!! She just couldn't see another way out!!!
Terrible and shocking to hear of this awful incident and wondering how any argument can ever come to this!!
I have suffered seperation fairly recently but never could imagine doing anything such as this. My hearfelt sympathies go out to the two children and of course hoping the gentleman makes a good recovery.
Finding the right words is very difficult in these situations but will say a pray for the family.
I appreciate the inconvenience but my heart goes out to that woman who I knew and her family and all those affected by this tragedy. I guess that when somebody wants to die that much, other people doont seem as important. Condolences and prayers to everyone.
Please spare a thought for the women's remaining family when writing cutting remarks about their mother's/daughters/sisters actions in her last desperate minutes on this earth. I knew this women personally and knew her to be a kind, sensitive and caring person. My thoughts and prayers go to all concerned, including the driver and his family.
I live on the fairway and it's been a big shock for something like this to happen right on our doorstep. I just hope this poor man will survive and recover from all this. My prayers and best wish's go to him and to there son and daughter also to the poor man who just so happened to be on M60 at that point. This is a truly tragic event
I don't think its just - or right - to regard the woman who commited suicide as selfish. She clearly wasn't in the right frame of mind to consider the results of her actions. I think we should consider her family in this horrific tragedy, and not judge her character. Her children shouldn't have to hear or read any disregarding comments about the mother they have just lost - consider them in all of this and think before you comment upon a situation that you are not connected to. My condolences go out to her family and friends.
Maureen Described the woman as:
"a kind, sensitive and caring person"
She poured petrol on the guy and set fire to him !!
I believe we inhabit very different worlds Maureen.
I too have experienced lows in life and have even contemplated suicide - I realise this alters your perceptions and you don't think straight.
But to be capable of doing what she did - I cant even begin to comprehend
I do feel sorry for the womans family and my heart goes out to her children. I also wish a full recovery to their father. But I do partly agree with Neil. Although she did obviously have a lot of problems, so now does the lorry driver. My partner is a lorry driver and i can imagine how something like this would affect him. That poor man will now suffer with nightmares of that woman forever. Lets just hope he gets the right help and can carry on in his job. My heart also goes out to him and his family, who now have to deal with this, and help him through the trauma. Whereas all her problems have now ended, she has left her family to pick up the pieces and left witnessess distraught. Suicide is a selfish act but also, sometimes a cry for help. Others please take note: there is help out there for you. Don't think that suicide is the answer - it's not. You just end up leaving family members hurt and wondering why you never asked for help.
I also personally new this lady and am honoured to be able to call her a friend and can honestly say that what Maureen says about her been kind, caring and sensitive is absolutely true, and you could go on and say a lot of other nice things about her. I know that she helped a lot of people. Yes everyone has the right to their comments but unless you actually knew her the way some of us did then you will never know what her or her family are like. This is a hard time for a lot of people and it will be a long time before the family or anyone that knows them personally will be able to come to terms with what has happend.
My thoughts are also with the lorry driver and his family.
i knew this person too and yes she was a very kind sensitive person. The lorry driver you all keep talking about is alive and well and will get over it. nobody can ever begin to comprehend what she must have been going through she was very much loved by many and will be very much missed by many