Driver killed in road rage attack after row with motorist on hard shoulder of M1

A driver was killed following a 'road rage' fight on the hard shoulder of the M1 motorway, it emerged last night.

Detectives have launched a murder inquiry  after the incident last week which saw Toby Cooke lose his life after exchanging blows with another motorist.

Moments earlier, two blue cars had been seen 'swerving across the lanes' on the busy motorway carriageway before coming to a stop.

The fork lift operator, 25, had been driving northbound to his work for a housing developer in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, at around 7.30am, last Thursday,  when he became involved in the argument.

He and another motorist were seen jostling for position as they left roadworks at Junction 10 before they pulled on to the hard shoulder on Junction 11 and left their cars.

According to Bedfordshire Police, the pair began to exchange blows before Mr Cooke, from Luton, Bedfordshire, was seen to be hit in the head and fall to the ground.

He was rushed to the Luton and Dunstable Hospital but then transferred with 'serious head injuries'  to the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, North London.

Despite undergoing an emergency operation he was then placed on a series of life support machines but died on Monday night.

Immediately after the incident, a 43-year-old man from Harrow, North West London -  who had been travelling to work in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire -  was arrested before being released on bail pending further enquiries.

Yesterday he was re-arrested and taken to Dunstable police station in Bedfordshire for further questioning as detectives appealed for more witnesses to the incident which took place between 7.30am and 7.36 am last Thursday.

Police said Mr Cooke was driving a blue Peugeot and the suspect was behind the wheel of a blue VW Polo.

Last night Detective Inspector Gary White, of Bedfordshire Police, said: 'We know that both cars were seen jostling for position as they passed the roadworks at Junction 10.
'Other drivers may have seen these two blue cars swerving across the lanes prior to them pulling over on to the hard shoulder just past Junction 11.

'Alternatively if you were driving southbound at around 7.36am you may have seen the two men arguing on the side of the motorway.

'This disagreement ultimately ended in physical violence and one man falling to the ground and suffering serious head injuries. It is vital we establish what happened and need independent witnesses to come forward.

' We are aware that people driving on the M1 could be from anywhere in the UK and need to appeal far and wide in order to reach them.'