Delivery driver arrested after multiple crashes on M6 motorway

ASTONISHING CCTV footage shows a delivery van driver causing three major crashes along a mile-and-a-half stretch of the M6 motorway — and continuing on after each collision.

Police in Birmingham arrested Awil Hayow, the driver of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter delivery van, for his dangerous and illegal driving.

The footage released by West Midlands Police shows Hayow, 34, initially veering across the motorway from the hard shoulder and losing control of his vehicle, with the red van ending up at right angles to the carriageway. The following cars and lorries have to make evasive manoeuvres to avoid him, and the incident brings all three lanes to a complete standstill.

Amazingly, the Mercedes driver didn’t strike any vehicles or the barriers in this incident, but moments later, nearby drivers were not so lucky.

After (illegally) reversing across the motorway lanes and continuing with his journey, Hayow was caught on camera in a side-on crash with a Nissan Juke. The shunt was strong enough to force the compact crossover to pull over onto the hard shoulder and ripped a bumper off Hayow’s van, but this wasn’t enough to prompt the erratic driver to pull over.

Nor was a third, more severe incident shortly after. Hayow is seen again driving along the hard shoulder before pulling hard right, clipping the rear of a Ford Transit and sending it into a spin. As before, Hayow continued on his way as if nothing had happened — though he was forced to stop on the hard shoulder a little further down the road. It’s unclear if this was due to mechanic failure on the van.

According to the police, when officers arrived at the scene to arrest Hayow he “adopted a boxer’s stance” and resisted arrest. Hayow eventually gave in to police, though only after officers used pepper spray and a Taser to incapacitate him.

Hayow has since admitted dangerous driving, failing to provide a specimen and obstructing a police constable, and will be sentenced for his crimes at Birmingham Crown Court on August 13.

Sgt Mitch Darby from the Central Motorway Police Group said: “This is a really bad case of dangerous driving. At no point did Hayow make any attempt to contact with the emergency services to report the collisions, check on the other drivers or report the fact the his van was stationary in a live lane of traffic with vehicles driving towards it.

“He showed a total disregard for the safety of other motorists who were on the M6, and it is only down to pure luck that no-one was seriously injured or killed because of his driving.”

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