Overview
- Stopped-vehicle detection alerts between junctions 8/9 and 12 were not presented to operators from March 2 to 7, 2022, due to a communications failure.
- The system auto-raised fault tickets on March 2 that were sent to the wrong National Highways team and given a seven-day priority, leaving the malfunction unresolved before the collision.
- Prosecutors argue the van driver’s conduct fell below the standard of a careful motorist, while the defence says the crash was inevitable without gantry warnings.
- The first 999 call came at 8:37am, National Highways was notified around 8:41am, the Nissan had been stationary in the fast lane for six minutes, and the technical issue was fixed two hours and 29 minutes after the crash.
- A National Highways entry suggests radars detected a stopped vehicle that did not meet criteria to trigger an alert, though the accuracy of that note could not be verified.