Video shows lorry inches from head-on smash after careering onto wrong side of motorway

Wales Online

4 days ago

Video shows lorry inches from head-on smash after careering onto wrong side of motorway
Peter Stone only had moments to react 'before getting flattened'
This is the hair-raising moment a lorry careered across the central reservation of the M5 and sped the wrong way down a busy motorway, narrowly missing a £100k Porsche. Peter Stone, 55, was driving home from a family trip to St Agnes in his Porsche 911 when a lorry came crashing towards him between junction 28 and junction 29 - between Cullompton and Exeter - at 12.23pm on Friday, August 1.
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The dad-of-two - who was travelling northbound in the right--hand lane - had just seconds to react to avoid what could have been a fatal crash. He managed to swerve into the middle lane with just seconds to spare, as the lorry driver careered the wrong way down the busy carriageway.
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Peter, who runs a fleet of vehicles for a waste company and is from Reading, Berkshire, said: "It literally came out of nowhere. I think I had less than two seconds to move before getting flattened by the tipper driver.
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"It was quite difficult, my car is quite low down and the black car (in front) sort of obscured my view. I only really saw the truck - luckily it was yellow, so your peripheral vision can pick up bright colours and stuff.
Peter said he only had a couple of seconds to react
"The black car moved out in front of me, I had a white motorhome beside me and I managed to go in between them. It was just a reflex reaction really. I'm very surprised no-one actually smashed into the truck.
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"I did speak to the transport company because I wanted to make sure no-one was injured before offering to share the footage. I pulled over straight away and called 999, assuming there was going to be some serious injuries. Fortunately, as far as I'm aware, no one was injured - which is quite remarkable."
Peter captured the scene of destruction on his front and rear dashcams, which were installed by the dealership when he purchased the vehicle back in December. Peter, who has an HGV licence himself, said: "You've seen videos of trucks crossing central reservations, but for it to happen straight in front of you is bizarre.
"Until I reviewed the video I hadn't even realised I was in the fast lane. In my recall I thought I must have been in the middle lane, there's no way I could have been in the third lane.
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Peter Stone and the Porsche he was travelling in
"I've had two nights of uninterrupted sleep replaying it in my mind, trying to come to terms with basically probably being two seconds from serious injury or even worse."
A National Highways spokesperson said no serious injuries had been reported following the crash. Police and ambulance attended the crash. The motorway was closed in both directions for just over an hour, with lanes one and two reopening at around 1.30pm to traffic.
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Repairs took place overnight and the road fully reopened at around 3.30am on Saturday morning, the spokesperson said. Devon & Cornwall Police and South West Ambulance Service were contacted for comment.