A police force has slammed drivers who put other motorists 'in danger' by ignoring lane closure signs after two serious crashes on the M6.
Lancashire Police say over 40 drivers disregarded the matrix signs showing a red 'X' on the M6, near junction 31, yesterday (May 29) following two collisions - with half a dozen even seen on their phones. The crashes happened within minutes of each other on different sides of the motorway, firstly southbound at 12.10pm and the second northbound around 12.25pm.
The first involved a van and a car while the second involved a motorbike. Police say they initially feared the collisions were serious but only the motorbike rider was injured, suffering a fractured knee.
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The motorway was closed in both directions with a red 'X' displayed signifying lane closures. But police say that several drivers were then caught on CCTV driving through the lane closures, with some on their phone.
A police statement said: "Were you one of the 40 plus people who decided to ignore the matrix signs and drive straight through the scene of a collision on the M6 yesterday (May 29)? Or were you one of the people who was seen driving through the scene AND using a mobile phone at the same time?
"If so we’ll be sending you a little something in the post in the next couple of weeks. Think of it as a reminder that while you may feel a road closure is inconvenient, being reported for driving offences is probably worse."
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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