Police officers were forced to use a deliberate collision technique to stop a vehicle travelling the wrong way on a major Midlands motorway, averting a potential catastrophe.
Dangerous motorway incident unfolds
On the evening of Tuesday, 20 January 2026, authorities received multiple emergency calls reporting a car driving southbound on the northbound carriageway of the M6 Toll road. The driver was heading directly into oncoming high-speed traffic, creating an extreme danger for other road users.
Swift police response and interception
Officers from Warwickshire Police's D-Shift Roads Policing unit, supported by the Staffordshire Road Crime Team, were immediately dispatched. They successfully located the errant vehicle just south of Junction 9 of the M42, where it was still progressing in the wrong direction.
Faced with a clear and immediate threat to public safety, the trained officers made the decision to employ 'tactical contact'. This authorised technique involves using a police vehicle to make controlled contact with another car to bring it to a halt.
Safe conclusion to a high-risk situation
The manoeuvre was executed successfully, bringing the car to what police described as a 'safe stop'. Remarkably, no injuries were reported from the incident. A spokesperson for Warwickshire Police confirmed the details and praised the public for their vigilance.
"Our officers located the vehicle just south of Junction 9 of the M42, still travelling southbound on the northbound carriageway," the statement read. "They used tactical contact to bring the vehicle to a safe stop with no injuries and to prevent any collisions with members of the public."
The force also extended thanks to everyone who called in about the incident, emphasising that their alerts were crucial in enabling a swift and safe resolution. The driver was detained following the stop, though the specific reasons for their wrong-way travel have not yet been disclosed.
