OAPs left stranded on M6 for 12 hours
THE RAC have apologised to pensioners who were left at a motorway services for 12 hours after breaking down on a “dangerous” stretch of the M6.
Michael Atherton and his wife Rosemary were on their way home to Haslingden on Friday, August 6 when the engine on their Mitsubishi Shogun “cut out”.
The couple were driving through roadworks on the M6 southbound, just before the St Helens junction, with the traffic “stopping and starting” every few seconds.
The motorway had been reduced to three narrow lanes with no hard shoulder, because of the roadworks.
As a result Mr and Mrs Atherton were forced to pull into the inside lane of the carriageway.
“As the traffic picked up speed again we pulled away but the engine died,” Mr Atherton, told the Free Press.
“We free- wheeled into the slow lane, put our hazards on and climbed over the barrier.
“The men who were doing the roadworks gave us a couple of cones to alert drivers to the blocked lane.”
The couple called their breakdown company, the RAC, at around 3.30pm and then they waited patiently to be rescued.
However, because the roadworks meant there was no hard shoulder, Highways England operates a ‘ free recovery service’, with traffic being constantly monitored by cameras.
Around 15 minutes after breaking down, a Highways England traffic officer turned up -a “lovely fella” called Gary - in convoy with a flatbed truck.
The Athertons were taken back to Charnock Richard services to wait for the RAC.
“I called the RAC while we were on our way to the services and told them we were being taken to Charnock Richard, and they said they’d be with us within two hours,” Mr Atherton said.
After two hours had passed Mr Atherton, 70, called the RAC back - but on the three occasions he rang his call was cut off.
“At 9.30pm we were still waiting so when I saw an RAC patrol helping another motorist, I went to ask for his help but when he tried even he couldn’t get through,” Mr Atherton, of Rising Bridge Road, said.
“We were called a couple of times by a lady from this firm, Michelle, who seemed genuinely concerned about our predicament and we received a call around 2am to advise us they had found someone to collect us in about half an hour.
“Sure enough, as promised, the flatbed arrived with a lovely driver, Chris, and we finally arrived home at 3.20am, taking about 12 hours after breaking down just 35 miles from home.”
As well as his complaint about the RAC, who he described as an “absolute shambles”, Mr Atherton said the incident also highlighted the concerns voiced about smart motorways.
“It had effectively become a smart motorway, as there was no hard shoulder, and it was downright dangerous,” he said.
“While we waited for Highways England to come we were blocking the lane and on one occasion a woman had failed to move into the second lane and had to cut in, in front of a huge lorry, at the last second. It was terrifying.”
An RAC spokesperson said: “We’ve apologised to Mr and Mrs Atherton as the service they received wasn’t up to our usual high standard, and have resolved their complaint.
“Along with all breakdown companies, our service is under extreme pressure this summer due to the unprecedented number of people holidaying in the UK as well as the number of our staff, and those of our specialist partners, being forced to self- isolate.”