I had a rather similar experience approaching the M25 from the M4 in July. I wanted to turn left (towards Watford), and had already noticed that the signs were warning of "Queue ahead". I stayed in the left hand lane, but was still surprised by how quickly the lane came to a standstill and there was still a mile to the junction.
As the traffic in the other lanes was still travelling at full speed, I was feeling pretty vulnerable, so I kept a cars length of space in front of me and had my eyes glued to the rear view mirror. The next 6 cars all stopped but then I noticed a very large lorry approaching very quickly and it appeared to be straddling both my lane and the next one out. As I watched I could hardly beleive my eyes as I suddenly saw a car launch into the air, directly across the front of the lorry. The lorry continued ploughing down ever closer to me with debris flying all over the place. All of a sudden the black car that was immediately behind me, took off into the middle lane and fled. As he moved off, an MPV behind him was shunted and was heading my way, Just before that made impact, I took off down the hard shoulder and parked up about 100 yards down the road.
As I ran back to the carnage, I called the police on my mobile. Arriving at the wreckage I was stunned to find that all the walking wounded were talking on their phones to relatives or chums about what was going on rather than the emergency services.
The first thing that struck me was a white car that had been sandwiched between the lorry cab and the concrete barrier. This car had a shattered windscreen and was now probably only about 4 ft wide. I asked the bystanders "Is there anyone in that white car". They all just shrugged their shoulders. I climbed over the MPV onto the white car. While standing on it's bonnet, leaning in through the brocken passenger window, I found that there was a chap in there. I asked him if he was OK, and he replied "Yes, I don't think I'm injured, but I'm not going anywhere in a hurry because my legs are most definately trapped." Just in case it had slipped his mind, I also asked if he had any passengers, but he didn't.
Then the driver of the Lorry strolled over to me and said, "I think you ought to check on the driver of that car behind him, he doesn't seem to be moving".
Climbing right over the white car, behind it I found another. Due to the angle of the lorry, this one had a bit more space. Obviously the car was totalled, but it didn't look like the passenger cell was so baddly compressed. Once again, leaning in through the broken passenger window, I reached over to the driver. This chap looked perfectly OK. Just sound asleep. The airbag had also deployed and he still had his seat belt on, so I reasoned that he couldn't be that badly injured.
I gave him a gentle nudge (with no effect). I then climbed into the car and checked for a pulse at his wrist and neck but couldn't find one. I then put my ear to his chest and couldn't detect any breathing or heatbeat. I lifted his eye lids to check for any pupil response, but there was absolutely none. I then became aware of the strong smell of petrol and the clicking of the hazard warning lights (that were still working!). So I decided it would be best to vaccate the area.
As I was trying to asses wether to pull this fellow free and take him with me. (has he possibly got a neck injury, could I get sued if he does recover and is paralysed as a result of my actions). I unbuckled his seat belt while I was making my mind up. Then I noticed a fire engine arrive behind us. I lifted his eyelids to check for a pupil response, but there was absolutely none. So I jumped out and informed the first fireman out of the engine of the situation of these two drivers, and made my way home.
The police later contacted me to ask for me to give them a witness account of the accident. They confirmed that the chap in the white car, once cut out, walked away completely unscathed. The other chap, however, was indeed dead and had probably died immediately.
All in all there were 6 cars and one lorry involved in the crash. If the black car behind me hadn't sped off, he would have been another victim, and if I hadn't shot off up the hard shoulder, I would also have been involved. The frightening thing was that I had my grand daughter in the back seat at the time. The Blue MPV (that had been behind me) ended up, sideways on across the hard shoulder and had stopped just about a foot behind the car I had been following.
So, I'm glad that a) I got in front or it would have been me and b) he had his brakes on (otherwise he would have rolled onwards into me!)
