Shocking dashcam footage has revealed the terrifying moment a vehicle was driven the wrong way along the M6 motorway, straight into the path of oncoming traffic.
The heart-stopping incident captured on camera
The alarming event unfolded on the southbound carriageway of the M6 near Corley services in Warwickshire. At approximately 1:50 pm on Tuesday, November 18, a red Ford Fiesta was filmed exiting the Welcome Break service station via a slip road and turning directly onto the motorway in the wrong direction.
HGV driver Phil Smith, 46, from Stockport, Greater Manchester, captured the entire episode on his dashboard camera. He described his immediate reaction as one of utter disbelief. "I was overtaking another HGV when this car drove out of Corley services," Phil said. "My first reaction was, 'what the f**k?'"
He reported seeing an elderly woman at the wheel and concluded she was clearly disorientated. "She might have gotten to 'that age'," he added, questioning whether she should have been driving at all.
Quick-thinking drivers prevent a major tragedy
As the Fiesta travelled northbound in the southbound lanes, other motorists were horrified. One driver was seen frantically waving from his window as the car passed over hatched road markings and continued against the flow of traffic.
According to National Highways, the situation was brought under control when two heavy goods vehicles manoeuvred to form a protective blockade, shielding other road users from the oncoming car. The Fiesta clipped one of the HGVs before finally coming to a stop. Remarkably, there were no reported injuries.
A spokesperson for National Highways confirmed their traffic officers attended the scene shortly after 1:50 pm. "We had received reports of a vehicle exiting the services in the wrong direction and colliding with two HGVs," they stated. Two lanes were temporarily closed to allow for the clearance of debris from the carriageway.
Police response and investigation
Warwickshire Police were alerted to the incident at 1:52 pm on the same day. A force spokesperson said: "We were called to a report of a red Ford Fiesta going the wrong way on the M6, near to J3, Corley. The vehicle was reported to be travelling northbound on the southbound carriageway. The car was safely stopped by officers."
The swift actions of the HGV drivers and the emergency services are credited with averting a potentially catastrophic accident on one of the UK's busiest motorways.
