Dangerous Lorry Driver Escapes Jail After Reckless Hard Shoulder Drive
Francis Nailor, 82, narrowly avoided jail after a terrifying incident on the M4 last year. The Stapleton pensioner pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and failing to stop at a crash scene. Swindon Crown Court handed him a six-month jail term, suspended for 12 months, and ordered him to pay costs.
Lorry Smashes Into Broken-Down Car on M4 Hard Shoulder
On 21 March, just after 7pm, chaos erupted on the M4 near Leigh Delamere Services. A 44-tonne HGV was spotted speeding eastbound along the hard shoulder. Despite frantic warnings from other motorists, Nailor’s lorry smashed into a Hyundai with a flat tyre parked between junctions 17 and 16. The car’s hazard lights were flashing, and the driver and passengers had safely left the vehicle.
25 Mile Hard Shoulder Escape at 50mph
The Hyundai was shoved into a ditch, but miraculously, no one was hurt. Shockingly, Nailor didn’t stop. Instead, he kept driving north for about 25 miles on the hard shoulder at around 50mph. Police finally caught up with him at junction 15 and arrested him at Gablecross Police Station while his lorry was recovered.
“This was an incredibly dangerous incident, in the dark, and it is only the good will of those members of public who put themselves at risk that there were no serious injuries or fatalities as a result of this,” said PC Alan King of the Roads Policing Unit.
“If they had not driven ahead to warn the occupants of the Hyundai, we would have had a far more tragic incident on our hands.”
Police Warn Drivers: Hard Shoulder is Not a Fast Lane
PC King added a stark warning: “Driving on the hard shoulder, unless instructed by traffic police or the Highways Agency, or as part of roadworks, is illegal. This incident highlights the dangers.”
He urged drivers to only stop on the hard shoulder in emergencies and to exit their vehicles on the left side, then wait safely behind barriers or on embankments away from traffic.
