Keith Taylor, 79, claimed he had recently got off a flight at Gatwick airport and got confused about which side of the road he should be driving on
AN elderly motorist risked his life and those of others when he recklessly drove the wrong way along a motorway - for SIX miles.
Keith Taylor set off in the wrong direction after pulling onto the hard shoulder and making a shocking U-turn across three lanes of the motorway - in total darkness.
Despite oncoming headlights and other cars dodging out of his way, the errant driver's blue Volkswagen Polo hatchback continued in the wrong direction until police caught up with him.
The 79-year-old driver manged to travel along the north-bound carriageway of the M23 in Sussex from Gatwick Airport as far as Maidenbower, West Sussex, before being eventually stopped.
PC Mark Botevyle of Sussex roads police said it appeared that the motorist had earlier left an inbound flight at Gatwick Airport but had then became confused as to which way he should be driving.
He added: "In more than 15 years as a police officer I have never encountered anything with such potential to have caused a major tragedy.
"It was around 15 minutes past midnight in the early hours of 28 January when this incident occurred.
"I was on patrol in a marked police car with my colleague PC Wayne Dixon when we were alerted by a radio message.
"The M23 was busy with traffic and it was only by sheer chance that no collision occurred.
"Clearly there was potential for a major pile-up and I am still amazed that this incident did not have more serious consequences.
"This all happened in darkness, adding to concerns that there might be a crash, and it is a timely reminder to all drivers never to let their concentration lapse."
Taylor, from King's Lynn, Norfolk, was spared jail and walked free from court after receiving a suspended prison sentence.
He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and was sentenced by magistrates in Norfolk on July 25 to six months' imprisonment, suspended for two years, as well as being disqualified from driving for two years and told he must take an extended driving test before reapplying for his licence.
PC Botevyle added: "The best advice is to plan your journey properly, to make sure you are fit to drive and not to begin a journey if you are tired.
"If you do feel sleepy, stop in a safe place and rest. Do not stop on the hard shoulder of a motorway unless in an emergency."
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