Driver, one wheel short of a full car, heads the wrong way on M4

The 65-year-old had ignored drivers flashing their lights and police patrol cars as he sped along the motorway with sparks flying from the front wheel hub of his Volkswagen Jetta.

The drama happened shortly before 3am yesterday as the man, from Neasden, north-west London, drove west along the eastbound carriageway.

He was eventually stopped near Reading, Berkshire, when police threw a Stinger bed of spikes across the motorway.

Police were first alerted when a terrified motorist used a roadside SOS telephone to report the Volkswagen was travelling the wrong way in the fast lane. It was not clear how the car had lost a wheel.

A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said: “The car was travelling at about 50mph on three wheels, with the metal hub of the front offside wheel bouncing up and down on the motorway, causing sparks to fly off.

“We had a string of calls from worried drivers who saw the Volkswagen bearing down on them on the wrong side of the motorway.

“Other officers used the Stinger device to stop the car and the motorist slewed to a halt with all three remaining tyres punctured. The Volkswagen eventually crashed into the back of a police car.”

A motorway patrol had blocked the eastbound lanes of the M4 at Reading and held back traffic as the car sped towards them.

Officers arrested the motorist on suspicion of being unfit to drive through drink or drugs. He was taken to Maidenhead police station, where he was still being held in cells.

A police spokesman said the G-registered Jetta appeared to belong to the pensioner although it was not known why he was driving the wrong way down the motorway or where he had joined it.

“So far he has not given a word of explanation to the police,” the spokesman added.

“Fortunately no-one was injured in the incident. The motorway was much quieter than usual because it was the early hours of Boxing Day.”