More than 40 drivers felt they were above the law as they selfishly ignored lane closures following two crashes on the M6. Lancashire Police has slammed those behind the wheel as 'reckless' for putting other road users at risk by shunning the red 'X' signs near junction 31 yesterday (May 29).
These images show the moment some of the drivers who ignored the lane closures were forced to rethink their actions to avoid ploughing straight into the scene of one of the two collisions. The photos show drivers quickly hitting their brakes, just metres away from where firefighters and police officers were hard at work on the southbound carriageway.
The southbound smash was the first of two crashes to take place in quick succession, at 12.10pm and 12.25pm, with the second on the northbound carriageway. The first involved a van and a car while the second involved a motorbike.
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Police say they initially feared the collisions were serious but only the motorbike rider was injured, suffering a fractured knee. Despite visible red X signs above the road approaching both scenes, dozens of drivers simply ignored them - with some even caught using their phones.
Supt Melita Worswick, of Lancashire Police, said: “First and foremost we must say a huge thank you to all those people who waited patiently for the motorway to re-open. We appreciate that a collision and subsequent road closure can completely derail your plans for the day, but this is for the safety of all those people involved at the scene, including our hard-working officers and other emergency services workers.
"These two collisions occurred in a short space of time on both sides of the M6, and the matrix signs were very clear that the motorway lanes were closed. However, over 40 people still felt their convenience was more important and ignored the signs, while six people did this while also using their phones.
"We hope this post serves as a reminder that nobody is above the law – and the actions of these few drivers were selfish, reckless and put all of those at the scene in danger. The consequences of their actions will be delivered in the post in the next few weeks."
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