Wrong side of carriageway motorist killed
Discussion
bbc said:
Driver killed in M-way collision
A motorist who was driving on the wrong side of a motorway has died in a head-on collision.
The accident happened on the northbound carriageway of the M23 between junctions nine for Gatwick and eight for Merstham on Thursday at 0315 BST.
Two vehicles were involved in the crash and the car which was on the wrong side exploded shortly after. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene and two others were taken to hospital with serious injuries.
A spokesman for Surrey Ambulance Service said: "One person was travelling on the wrong side of the motorway.
"The person driving in the wrong direction was the fatality."
A police spokesman said: "The incident involved two vehicles - a Rover MG travelling south bound on the north bound carriagway and a Honda Jazz."
The two other casualties were in the Honda and were taken to the East Surrey Hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries.
Four ambulances were called to the scene. The section of motorway was closed for the recovery operation and for crash investigators to examine the scene.
By 0820 BST the north bound carriageway had reopened but traffic was slow in both directions.
What I would like to know is how he managed to be on the wrong side of the carriageway.Mrs Fish said:
Driver killed in M-way collision
A motorist who was driving on the wrong side of a motorway has died in a head-on collision.
The accident happened on the northbound carriageway of the M23 between junctions nine for Gatwick and eight for Merstham on Thursday at 0315 BST.
Two vehicles were involved in the crash and the car which was on the wrong side exploded shortly after. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene and two others were taken to hospital with serious injuries.
A spokesman for Surrey Ambulance Service said: "One person was travelling on the wrong side of the motorway.
"The person driving in the wrong direction was the fatality."
A police spokesman said: "The incident involved two vehicles - a Rover MG travelling south bound on the north bound carriagway and a Honda Jazz."
The two other casualties were in the Honda and were taken to the East Surrey Hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries.
Four ambulances were called to the scene. The section of motorway was closed for the recovery operation and for crash investigators to examine the scene.
By 0820 BST the north bound carriageway had reopened but traffic was slow in both directions.
Darwins theory of evolution being highlighted once again...
I feel for the innocent victims though....
What's that you say Darwin? Evolution at work? Right-oh...
God know how the driver managed to be on the wrong carriageway but I'm sure I'm not alone in envisaging a full-fat with cream* drving the Rover?
Shame there aren't any cameras on that stretch of motorway
Mr Bliar - where are our plod when we need them?
*Silver Top
God know how the driver managed to be on the wrong carriageway but I'm sure I'm not alone in envisaging a full-fat with cream* drving the Rover?
Shame there aren't any cameras on that stretch of motorway
Mr Bliar - where are our plod when we need them? *Silver Top
forever_driving said:
[quote=wiggy001]
Shame there aren't any cameras on that stretch of motorway
[quote]
Don't worry, I'm sure they'll install some soon and prevent this from happening again.
ah but they'll install forward facing cameras to get rid of the "we're not sure who was driving brigade" and get a luvverly rear shot of Rover boot lid.
all tongue in cheek natch.......
joust said:
It's quite easy to get down the wrong side of the road if you weren't thinking (which I presume he was sleepy or similar) to be honest from that junction...
J
Seems an odd one to me. They have either come round the M25 the wrong way, or joined at the top of the M23 the wrong way. Neither seem that easy to do!
Made getting to work a nightmare. Im wondering if it was just some nutter. Id like to think at 3am I would see an oncoming car in my lane from a fair distance.
Flat in Fifth said:
[quote=wiggy001]
Shame there aren't any cameras on that stretch of motorway
[quote]
Don't worry, I'm sure they'll install some soon and prevent this from happening again.
ah but they'll install forward facing cameras to get rid of the "we're not sure who was driving brigade" and get a luvverly rear shot of Rover boot lid.
all tongue in cheek natch.......
...and catch him doing 'minus 70 mph'.
I passed a car on the wrong side of the A14* at about 5am only a few weeks ago. It seems it's not that uncommon, and it definitely is scary.
Perhaps it's unrelated, but on the radio this morning they said that up to 1 in 50 of the population is injecting hard drugs. If we assume another 10x that figure is on softer ones then it's no wonder we have the odd example of bad driving, is it?
PS. It was him that was on the wrong side, not me!!
Perhaps it's unrelated, but on the radio this morning they said that up to 1 in 50 of the population is injecting hard drugs. If we assume another 10x that figure is on softer ones then it's no wonder we have the odd example of bad driving, is it?
PS. It was him that was on the wrong side, not me!!
OK someone please tell me how you would get onto the M23 going the wrong way. I know that bit of road well, and the only way I can see is to join it at the top going south on the nortbound, but that is a slipway onto the A23 and would require serious stupidity to get wrong, or going the wrong way on the A23, but as it is so busy there, he would have had his accident earlier surely. From the M25 not possible is it?
rbryant said:
OK someone please tell me how you would get onto the M23 going the wrong way. I know that bit of road well, and the only way I can see is to join it at the top going south on the nortbound, but that is a slipway onto the A23 and would require serious stupidity to get wrong, or going the wrong way on the A23, but as it is so busy there, he would have had his accident earlier surely. From the M25 not possible is it?
I'd imagine he joined at the top of the A23 that turns into the M23 (i.e. Junction 7) which I use on a regular basis. Dead easy if you aren't awake at the point the whole thing forks unfortunatly. At that time in the morning he'd have easily taken the wrong side next to dean lane and then from there it'll take you straight down the M23 towards Gatwick. Given it's all "easy" traffic until you hit the M25 junction (normally it's easy to go the whole 8 to 7 without seeing any other car outside rush hour) it's quite simple to imagine he wouldn't find another car until the two blind crests that are on that J8 to J9 streach.
The whole dean lane part is confusing. I've often seen people dithering around there - even worse is the whole A23/M23 split - I'm amazed they never have more stuffed cars there.
J
>> Edited by joust on Thursday 12th August 20:22
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Unfortunatly Tonker has pointed out the issue - there is actually no way "off" that streach of road until you hit Gatwick if you did get it wrong. There are two totally blind crests as well coupled with the fact that the road rises some 600 feet around Nutfield the road is often covered in fog or serious mist at that time in the morning. You wouldn't take at 30mph never mind 60 or 70 if it was on a "B" road.
Pure conjecture, but if the accident happened around one of those crests then I'd imagine the unfortunate chap joined it wrong, went along the M23 J8-J7 without seeing a soul, carried on, went up the hill around Nutfield, entered the normal early morning mists (I'm supposing that as the carriageway re-opened at 8:20am it was late night / early morning when the accident happend) that are on that hill and then hit some poor unsuspecting person coming the other way.
It's easy to criticise now, but someone died here and two others are seriously injured after the person that died made a stupid mistake. Please have some thought for the people involved in this.
J
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