Breakdown rescuers the AA reveal M25 pothole that took out 58 cars was the SECOND in just days after M4 hole wrecked 20 other vehicles

By Matt Strudwick[1]

Published: 12:15, 8 October 2024 | Updated: 13:04, 8 October 2024

A ‘massive’ pothole crippled 20 cars on the M4, just days before a similar sized crater caused carnage on the M25[2] last week.

MailOnline can exclusively reveal today that motorists lined up their mangled motors along the hard shoulder in the darkness of night near the junction for Slough in Berkshire.

The chaos on Friday, September 27, came just five days before a pothole on Britain’s busiest motorway wiped out 58 cars[3] leaving drivers stranded for hours.

The carbon copy scenes have been described by AA president Edmund King as ‘unheard of’ as he told us it was ‘lucky nobody was hurt’.

A photo exclusively obtained by MailOnline shows a long queue of damaged vehicles lined up on the busy M4.

There was chaos on the M4 (pictured) when motorists plunged into a ‘massive’ pothole near junction 5 – just days before a similar sized crater caused carnage on the M25

M25: Just five days later at least 58 motors were left mangled lined up on the side of Britain’s busiest motorway after plunging into a hole between junctions 12 and 13 in Surrey

A company CEO, who did not provide their name, blew both tyres of his GBP49,000 Mercedes EQA.

New tyres for the electric motor can cost around GBP320 each, meaning they could have been left at least GBP640 out of pocket.

‘There were twenty or so other vehicles in the same situation,’ they said. ‘It was a massive hole in lane two near junction five.’

Mr King told MailOnline that ‘one massive motorway pothole taking out twenty cars and creating total carnage is bad enough, but two motorway incidents in the space of a few days is unheard of’.

‘It is just lucky that nobody got hurt in these pothole crater incidents, but we know that many drivers will have been hurt in their wallets,’ he said.

‘No doubt many of these drivers will be seeking compensation from National Highways. The problem for drivers at night or in heavy rain is that you just can’t see the potholes and the first warning is that awful sound when the alloy hits the hole.’

MailOnline has contacted National Highways for comment.

Barely a week later MailOnline broke the news a pothole had caused carnage[4] during the morning rush hour on the M25 in Surrey when vehicles plunged into a chasm that had opened up in the road.

One local tyre company said 58 vehicles had been damaged as crippled cars lined up on the hard shoulder between junctions 12 and 13.

Alloy wheels were cracked and tyres punctured, with drivers telling MailOnline they had to fork out GBP700 to repair their mangled motors.

Disgruntled people were left between Staines and Chertsey standing in the pouring rain for hours as they waited for repair vehicles to arrive.

M25: A row of at least 58 crippled cars lined up on the hard shoulder in Surrey after plunging into the chasm on the crumbled piece of Tarmac

M25: Alloy wheels were cracked and tyres punctured, with drivers telling MailOnline they had to fork out GBP700 to repair their mangled motors

It caused one elderly couple to miss their flight from Gatwick to Cyprus as they waited behind the crash barrier for more than six hours.

Martin Sisley was the third motorist to hit the crater and terrifyingly watched on in horror as others fell victim.

‘It was actually very frightening – we stood watching and hoping that no one lost control from hitting the hole and then ploughed into us,’ he told us.

Mr Sisley says the matrix signs to warn other drivers came on too late, and says only one lane was initially closed which ‘pushed’ cars into the second lane[5] where the pothole was – highlighting further the dangers of Britain’s smart motorways.

‘There was already two cars there, and no visibility, no warnings – nothing,’ Mr Sisley said.

‘We stood there for around twenty minutes watching cars fly past and counting more and more onto the hard shoulder.

‘The Highway Officers were very slow to get the matrix signs on to warn others, or to act on closing lanes.’

The highways agency told MailOnline yesterday that it became aware of the pothole at 6am and contractors arrived within the hour to carry out repairs.

But MailOnline heard from one BMW driver who plunged into the hole at 3.45am.

M25: Motorists who were victims of the ‘massive’ pothole that caused carnage last week claim National Highways were too slow to warn other drivers

Stephanie Vincent’s husband was driving home from a night shift. The photo above shows the rear tyre torn on his BMW with the alloy wheel also damaged

Tessa Pearson, 69, was travelling to Gatwick with her 73-year-old partner Graham to catch a flight to Cyprus.

They had passed the turning to Heathrow when they heard a ‘loud bang’ and pulled over to the hard shoulder when a tyre pressure alert flashed up on their car.

‘Within forty-five minutes two other cars pulled up behind us with the same damage to offside tyres,; she said.

‘After three hours of no recovery vehicle appearing I dialled 999, as directed by the police lady previously, and asked if our recovery would be arriving soon.

‘I said we were safe but my main concern was that the traffic was getting so much busier and I could foresee a major accident happening.’

The frightened couple eventually called the AA and their near seven-hour hell came to an end at 10.15am with the arrival of a recovery van.

‘The upshot is that we have now missed our holiday to Cyprus, spent six and a quarter hours totally drenched because it was raining almost constantly and are GBP525 out of pocket also for two tyres and all four wheels needed re-alignment,’ she said.

Data collected by mobile app Stan the App – which uses AI[6] to spot and categorise potholes scattered through British roads – revealed there had been 95 defects on that section of the M25 alone between January and April this year.

Mike Mockford, product owner of the app, issued an ominous warning as he told MailOnline: ‘I can see this happening every week on National Highways’ roads.

M25: A motorists claims only one lane was initially closed which ‘pushed’ cars into the second lane where the pothole was, highlighting further the dangers of Britain’s smart motorways

M25: This is the staggering moment cars lined up on the hard shoulder after being ‘taken out’ by a ‘massive’ pothole on the motorway that was ‘hidden by darkness’

M25: A row of cars had their hazard lights flashing after being left undriveable when they plunged into the hole in Surrey during rush hour traffic

M25: Lorry driver Blaine Conway, 39, had one of his tyres damaged on his car and told MailOnline that it was so dark that no one was able to see the pothole

‘Because there are so many defects that they are not fixing, like surface area cracks or small potholes. They are only going to get worse with people flying across the motorway at 70mph.

‘It’s only a matter of time before they break a tyre.’

In response to the M25 pothole, a National Highways spokesman told MailOnline last week: ‘The pothole was first reported to us shortly before 6am.

‘Within 10 minutes road signs diverted drivers away from lane one, and contractors were dispatched to repair the road.

‘Lane one was closed by 6.15am with a 40mph speed limit in place to slow traffic on approach and two rolling roadblocks were also used.

On arrival the contractors found the pothole had encroached onto lane two, and the closure was extended to lane two at 6.26am.

‘In this instance the time between the pothole first being reported to us and repairs being completed was under three hours.’

It is not currently known if National Highways will be compensating drivers for either incident, but motorists can make ‘red claims’ if they are injured or have their cars damaged on the highways agency’s roads.

But National Highways warns on its website: ‘We aim to protect the public purse by only settling claims against the company where there is a clear liability.’

It adds: ‘However, there is no automatic right to compensation or damages.

‘The law makes it clear that highway authorities cannot be blamed for everything that happens on their roads.

Although National Highways maintains the SRN (strategic road network), it cannot be held responsible for every problem which arises.’

References

1. ^ Matt Strudwick (www.dailymail.co.uk)
2. ^ caused carnage on the M25 (www.dailymail.co.uk)
3. ^ wiped out 58 cars (www.dailymail.co.uk)
4. ^ caused carnage (www.dailymail.co.uk)
5. ^ pushed’ cars into the second lane (www.dailymail.co.uk)
6. ^ uses AI (www.dailymail.co.uk)