A desperate couple ditched their taxi in a three mile motorway tailbacks and walked down the hard shoulder to the airport to catch their holiday flight.
Dean Louca, 37, and wife Gina, 39, were heading Greece from London Luton when their cab got trapped in standstill traffic.
They were due to catch a 12:45am departure on Tuesday (26 Aug).
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After 20 minutes with no movement, the pair climbed out and began trekking along the M1.
Other families soon joined them, with some drivers leaning out of windows to cheer them on.
“We decided the only option was to start walking as we were concerned we would miss our flight,” Dean, of Camden, north London, told What’s The Jam.
“People were panicking in their cars saying the same.”
The pair were eventually picked up by a good samaritan who dropped them at the airport, allowing them to board their flight with an hour to spare.
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Dean added: “If it wasn’t for him, we may have missed it.
“On the plane we could see the motorway was still at a standstill three hours later – it was crazy.”
A clip of the couple’s walk racked up more than 450,000 views online, with some praising their determination while others slammed them for risking their lives.
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One viewer said: “Walking down the hard shoulder and motorway is illegal you know that?”
Another added: “Putting your lives at risk by walking down the hard shoulder for a holiday?”
Others were more supportive.
One person commented: “Oh my God. So glad you made it.”
Another said: “I hope you had an amazing holiday after this.”
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