Lorry driver, 82, avoids jail after M4 hard shoulder crash

An 82-year-old man who drove his lorry along the hard shoulder of a motorway and hit a parked car has avoided jail.

Francis Nailor drove away from the scene after his 44-tonne HGV struck a Hyundai which had stopped on the M4 in Wiltshire due to a flat tyre.

Nailor, of Small Lane, Stapleton in Bristol, admitted dangerous driving and failing to stop at the scene of a road traffic collision.

He was given a six-month suspended sentence at Swindon Crown Court.

Nailor was also banned from driving for 12 months, and will have to take an extended driving test before being allowed to drive again.

Wiltshire Police said they were called shortly after 19:00 GMT on 21 March last year to reports of an articulated lorry driving on the hard shoulder of the eastbound M4 near Leigh Delamere services.

Frances Nailor failed to stop despite his lorry hitting a stationary car

Despite other drivers trying to alert Nailor, his vehicle hit the Hyundai between junctions 17 and 16, which had stopped with its hazard lights on and the passengers out of the vehicle.

"Fortunately, nobody was injured as the Hyundai was shunted into a ditch and despite slowing, Nailor proceeded to drive off," said Wiltshire Police.

Officers caught up with and arrested Nailor after he had driven a total of about 25 miles (40 km) on the hard shoulder.

PC Alan King, of the roads policing unit, said: "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.

"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.

"Driving on the hard shoulder, unless instructed to do so by traffic police officers of the Highways Agency or as part of roadworks, is illegal and this incident just highlights the dangers."