A Pakistani delivery van driver, who died after he was stabbed in the neck and crashed his van as he tried to drive away, may have been the victim of a racist attack, police believe.
Detectives have begun a murder inquiry after an off-duty police officer found Mohammed Saleem Khan, 36, seriously injured in a rented white Ford Transit van in the village of Easingwold, near York, North Yorkshire. He was taken to York District Hospital but died later.
Post mortem examination found that he had been stabbed before the crash. Police arrest 26-year-old Easingwold man on suspicion of murder. Three other people were also arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.
It is understood that police initially treated the incident as a road traffic collision, but opened a murder inquiry after further analysis established that he had been stabbed.
Mr Khan was in the driver’s seat when he was found by the off-duty police officer.
Detective Chief Inspector Heather Pearson, of North Yorkshire Police, said: ‘This is a tragic incident for Mr Khan’s family and specially trained officers are supporting them at this extremely difficult time.
‘At this stage, there are a number of lines of inquiry that are being progressed.
‘One aspect of the investigation is that this may have been an unprovoked,
racially motivated attack.
‘However, I am keeping an open mind about the motive.’
DCI Pearson thanked Easingwold residents for their ‘tremendous support for their investigation, but urged anyone with information about Mr Khan’s death to come forward.
‘I am also keen to establish the movements of Mr Khan. He was driving a white Europcar Ford Transit van and it is believed that he may have been in and around Easingwold for a period of hours prior to his murder.
Mr Khan was originally from Luton but had recently moved to Birmingham, police said.
He had been scheduled to make a drop-off in Easingwold at the week, but it is unclear whether he had made the delivery before the attack.