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Mum facing oncoming HGV on dual carriageway: “my God, is this it”
20/06/2020
Banbury home care worker has narrow escape from collision with lorry heading in wrong direction on A422 dual carriageway
A Banbury mum and grandmum is still in shock after narrowly avoiding a head on smash with an articulated lorry which was heading straight towards her on the wrong side of the A422 dual carriageway. The incident, which happened on Thursday morning, has once again brought into focus the dangers of those not used to driving on UK roads,
Marie Truss is employed as a home care worker and was on her way to visit her third client of the morning. The mum of two from Hardwick left the M40 roundabout using the A422 dual carriageway to head to Farthinghoe. Just moments after joining the A422 as she attempted to overtake a small lorry Marie found herself staring at an articulated lorry heading in the wrong direction, straight towards her.
Marie told Banbury FM, “I was just overtaking this small lorry and there was this great big juggernaut coming towards me with his lights on and he wasn’t exactly going very slow”.
Marie was only travelling at around 25 miles-per-hour when the incident happened and managed to take evasive action. However she realises her lucky escape from a collision is in part due to the quiet road conditions and the actions of the driver she was passing. She said, “I think the lorry I was overtaking sped up a bit so I could go back in, but I am so lucky there was no one behind me because if there had have been that would have been it – I wouldn’t have seen my family again”.
It was thoughts of those at home that went through Marie’s mind as she saw the lorry heading straight at her. She said, “I thought my God, is this it? Is this all I’m going to see – this juggernaut and not my family again”.
It is not known why the HGV was travelling on the wrong side of the dual carriageway towards Banbury. It appears to have navigated back the correct way around the M40 roundabout moments afterwards but did not stop following the near miss.
Marie says she has been left shaken and suffered sleepless nights after the incident, “I couldn’t settle, I was crying, I was shaking. I had a headache and had about four hours sleep”.
Since the near miss Marie has been very nervous about driving – an essential part of her ability to do her job. She is also nervous for her daughters who are both new drivers. Marie has been driving since 1992 and feels the roads around Banbury are much more dangerous now. She said, “Its manic. You have to have eyes in the back of your head. I’m scared”.
Details of the incident, which happened at 9.21 on Thursday morning, have been reported to Thames Valley Police.
This is footage from Marie’s dashcam:
Listen again to our interview with Marie Truss:
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam
Hassell On 20/06/2020 at 7:25 pm
We have also encountered a car last December at 9pm travelling in the Same direction and did report.