Last week I was nearly back to the yard at about 8:30pm, I was coming on a slip road to join the A3, the slip road is short and on a nasty bend (Hurtmore north bound) it was pitch black and unlit, so I come round the bend and I’m already checking my wide lense mirror for the oncoming traffic and glance back in front of me and there is a car stationary in front, no lights, no hazards, nothing.
There is nothing to do but stop, I couldn’t dive onto the carriage way early as there was traffic on top of me.
So I flash the full beams up quickly to see what’s going on and I notice someone in the driving seat, I could already tell that it was an elderly fella. So I put my hazards on and go and see if he’s alright, parked on a small narrow slip road inches away from live traffic with no lights on.
I walk up to the window and give it a tap and he doesn’t move just sits really still, tap again and nothing… ■■■■ me he’s dead I thought to myself, I proceed to open the door and he jumps and I nearly jump out of my skin
I asked him if he was ok, he looked about 90 was very pale and had a blanket over him. He seemed really confused and disorientated, he explained that he had a quarter of a tank of fuel and didnt know what to do so he just stopped where he was. God knows how long he had been there as it was about -3 and all the plastic dash in his car was freezing (like when you get in the car in the morning) I reached in and put his hazards on for him and explained that there is a petrol station about 5 miles down the dual carriage way and he was asking how he gets there and how does he now join the carriage way from where we was!! He was all over the place bless him so I said to him don’t worry we’ll get you on your way.
I went back to the truck and called the old bill, I said he was very confused, seems like he’s been there for ages and he’s in a dangerous position but I’m protecting him with the truck.
She said ok there is a traffic officer on the way.
The traffic cop turns up, I explain the situation and he goes and has a chat with him, he comes back to me and says that he’s trying to get back to Colchester!!! I look at the cop with a raised eyebrow as if to say that’s not going happen is it but he’s going to ■■■■■■ him to Wisley to get some petrol and see him on his way. The traffic cop thanked me and I went on my way and that was that.
Shocking to think that old people can get like that and still be on the road.
Poor chap thank god he met a good samaritan like you! I have 999 twice one night on the m11 I nearly ran up the back of a black renault clio with no lights on at all - about 2am tried all sorts to make him turn lights on but in end he didn’t so thought I better 999 as he was an accident waiting to happen. Other time was Xmas eve 2006 I was coming round a sweeping bend onto a dual carriageway near Manchester cant remember exactly anyhow a lada started to overtake me, Lada started to wobble and basically left the carriageway and went down a 30ft embankment. I immediately stopped rang 999 and then went down embankment to make sure driver was ok. A studenty type female got out of car looking very shaky and asked if I could drag her car back onto road!!! FFS explained no and let her sit in cab until police arrived within about 20mins!
Poor chap, can’t be nice to get to that stage in your life.
I had to call an ambulance a few years ago when some nutter decided to slit his wrists in front of me (I must have that effect on men) he didn’t seem to speak English and the operator wanted me to put pressure on it and raise it for him. Quite selfishly I suppose, I just mimed the actions to him. I figured if he’s crazy enough to cut himself he’s crazy enough to stab me but the police arrived quite quick so I left them all to it.
In 3.5 years of driving nights I’ve phone 999 three times, and dialed the none emergency number about 5 times.
First one was when a power cable had dropped (wooden pylon had snapped ) to about 3 feet above the ground and I caught it with the van, it got trapped under the Luton body until it snapped. Still to this day shakes me up just thinking about it.
Other two times were finding people at the side of the road in the early hours (both ■■■■■■■ but unsure as to weither they’d been hit by a car or something stupid) so a quick 999 and wait for the police to arrive. One guy was off his head on god knows what and the cops phoned his parents then took him home, second gave the cops a load of grief then staggered off singing…
One thing I was told by the boss when I started was in some places we could be the only person there for a good few hours, so if you see anything that could be trouble just stop and make sure everyones ok. It could save a life.
A couple of times, a cretin on the hard shoulder going the wrong way with their lights off
A fella outside the fence of a motorway bridge getting ready to commit suicide ?
Spotted a young boy on a bike heading West with a petrol can on the hardshoulder M4 heading for Membury sevices, about a mile further a massive overweight chap was sat against a Mercedes car parked on the hardshoulder looking towards Membury
First time M40 / 42 Split - Car was stranded in lane with fast traffic
Second time - Plastic guttering all over J9 M6 Slip road, caused cars to swerve who were coming on the road… and what i would interpret as immediate threat. (Didn’t fancy trying to be a hero)
3 times as I recall. Twice for RTAs, fortunately only walking wounded but lanes blocked, the other was for a dog on the motorway playing chicken with the traffic.
once for a black horse loose on a d/c late at night.
several times for debris on road
and recently, while returning from Gadbrook, I saw a bird in a Corsa stopped in outside lane of M6
I was parked up on saddleworth moor when got knocked up by a young girl who was crying and said she had been raped and could I give her a lift to Rochdale
focusdiy:
I was parked up on saddleworth moor when got knocked up by a young girl who was crying and said she had been raped and could I give her a lift to Rochdale
once for a car stranded a1 northbound near leeming bar on the central/outerlane no lights or hazards and pitch black
once for an rta on sheffield parkway ,pillock undertook me and slammed into the back of a broken down car ,even though i backed off to let them out
and once at thrybough,rotherham ,driving past a bungalow and saw some little oik trying to break a window and get in ,him and his mate both had their collar felt and coughed for it,apparently the house had been done twice before and these lads were in the frame for those aswell,gives you a nice warm feeling when the householder rings you up to say thanks
Twice once on the m6 saw a lorry lose a wheel it bounced the central reservation and hit a car.
Other time was delivering a skip saw a woman slumped at the wheel of her car. Called an ambulance and waited round turned out she was diabetic and her sugar had dropped. They sorted her out and she was fine.
Recently during the night when airvalve blew a connection under the unit causing immediate stop on inside lane of M54, jumped out of cab and vaulted barrier and called 999 to inform them there was a 44t Daf sat on the inside lane unable to move, HA arrived in about 15mins during which time I jumped up and down on the hard shoulder frantically waving a torch trying to get the traffic to avoid said truck, all the time waiting for the screech of brakes and a loud bang. Thankfully no collisions, no harm done.
Coned off then eventually rescued and repaired…
) to about 3 feet above the ground and I caught it with the van, it got trapped under the Luton body until it snapped. Still to this day shakes me up just thinking about it.
