Officer injured stopping wrong-way M5 driver (From Worcester News)

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Officer injured stopping wrong-way M5 driver

3:07pm Thursday 9th February 2012 in News

Officer injured stopping wrong-way M5 driver

A POLICE officer was injured trying to stop an elderly man driving the wrong way on the M5 near Droitwich.

The officer was struck by the car early this morning, after the car was seen on cameras travelling into oncoming traffic on the M42.

Calls from alarmed members of the public also started to flood in after the grey Mitsubishi Colt was seen going the wrong way along the northbound carriageway.

Officers from the Central Motorway Police Group were at the scene within four minutes and starting to put a rolling road block in place around junction 5 to stop the vehicle.

The driver was stopped on the M5 near Droitwich a short time later, and the 80-year-old was transferred to hospital, for treatment in relation to an existing medical condition.

The police officer, who was hit after the car was turned to face the right direction, was treated in hospital for minor injuries.

Chief Inspector Carl Flynn said: "Our officers acted quickly and decisively to try and stop the motorist from posing a further threat to other road users and himself.

"The nature of the man's driving was of great cause for concern, and despite the road block the car was still driven erratically and dangerously in the wrong direction into stationary traffic.

"Our officers bravely intercepted the vehicle and spun the car so that it was then facing in the right direction. Unfortunately the vehicle then collided with a police officer, who was taken to hospital with minor injuries.

"After making further inquiries it appears the elderly gentleman was unwell, and we will now investigate whether his condition played any part in these events."

The pensioner, from South Staffordshire, was taken to hospital where he was kept in for observation.

Comments(12)

DanMacc says...
4:18pm Thu 9 Feb 12

Health and safety gone mad, In my day we could drive wherever we wanted, we never had to lock our doors and you could do a weekly shop for half a crown.