Man arrested in France for driving 10km in the wrong direction on the motorway

A motorist in France was arrested after driving more than 10km in the wrong direction along the motorway. 

The driver, a 58-year-old man, drove the wrong way down the A40 motorway in France after losing his toll ticket on 4 July at around 21:30, according to France Info.

When highway safety officers spotted the rogue vehicle, they were able to close the entry and exit to the Vuache tunnel, towards which the man was driving, and in doing so enabled the Saint-Julien-en-Genevois gendarmes motorised platoon to stop the vehicle and apprehend the driver.

"After negative alcohol and drug tests, this Romanian national who wanted to return to his country of origin explained to the gendarmes that he had lost his motorway ticket and that he panicked on arrival in front of the toll gates," the commander of the motorised platoon said in a statement that was reported by France Info. 

The driver will face the French courts in November, in Thonon-les-Bains. 

Thankfully, there were no accidents caused by the mistake of this driver. Fortunately, at 21:30 the motorways are likely to be less busy than a couple of hours before that. 

But, the potential for something to go wrong in this scenario is great, because it would take just a small movement from either the 58-year-old, or another motorist travelling in the other (correct) direction to cause a huge accident at motorway speeds in a head-on collision. 

If such a collision were to involve a motorcycle, the consequences would be of the greatest severity.

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