Woman seriously injured and van driver arrested after Wakefield crash

A 43 year old man has been arrested - while a 40 year old man remains in hospital

A61 Barnsley Road in Wakefield
Author: Matt SoanesPublished 21st Jan 2026

Police are appealing for witnesses and footage following a crash in Wakefield that left a woman with life-threatening injuries.

It happened at 5.53pm last night (January 20) on the A61 Barnsley Road near the Aagrah restaurant - a silver Maxus Deliver 9 van struck a pedestrian.

The driver of the van failed to stop at the scene, while the pedestrian, a 40-year-old woman, was taken to hospital and remains in critical condition.

Earlier this morning, a 43-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

Detective Inspector Paul Conroy, of West Yorkshire Police, said: “We would like to hear from anyone who may have seen this collision or has access to CCTV, dashcam or doorbell footage from the area which may help with the investigation.

“We know that the area was busy, but people may not have realised the seriousness of what had happened at the time because the pedestrian initially tried to walk with the aid of a member of the public.

“I am appealing to anyone who might have any relevant footage or who saw the van being driven in the time before or after the collision to contact us.”

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