Drivers were left shaken after a car lost a tyre and ended up crawling along a busy stretch of the M25 on its rims.
The dangerous scene was filmed by Meta, a 25-year-old newly qualified Class 1 HGV driver, who was behind the vehicle at the time.
Meta gallantly slowed down and remained behind the stricken vehicle to ensure there would be no collision until the driver could get to safety.
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The incident happened on Sunday (Jan 11) at around 3:28pm, between junctions 25 and 26 of the M25, heading towards Dartford.
Meta first noticed the wheel coming off the Mercedes in front of him and rolling away under his lorry, which was captured by his camera.
The Mercedes was then forced to travel extremely slowly with its hazard lights flashing, causing chaos for approaching traffic.
“It felt like a serious accident was just waiting to happen,” Meta, from North London, recalled.
Realising the threat, the supermarket lorry driver made the quick decision to intervene, as reported by What’s the Jam.
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Using his HGV to block and protect the lane, Meta carefully escorted the damaged car to the next emergency refuge area.
He said both the driver and passenger inside the Mercedes appeared extremely distressed but had at least known the lorry had been reducing the risk of an accident.
Meta said: “As an HGV driver, I knew I could protect them.
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“I’d rather help someone stay safe than risk a serious accident, even if it meant delaying a delivery or potentially losing my job.”
Meta said getting stranded on a motorway is always frightening, especially on smart motorways without hard shoulders.
He noted that passing HGVs create intense wind and noise, making breakdowns especially traumatic.
“All I wanted to do was make sure they were safe,” he said.
“If there hadn’t been an emergency bay nearby, I would’ve stayed behind them for as long as needed.”
He also criticised the lack of hard shoulders on smart motorways, calling them a serious safety issue.
“People have lost their lives because of it,” he added.
“This system needs to be reconsidered. Most people agree these so-called smart motorways aren’t smart at all.”
Social media users heaped praise on Meta after watching the nail-biting footage.
“Well done for doing this,” one said.
“An example of good and professional driving,” another wrote.
A third said: “You’re a top man. Well done.”
Another added: “This was very good of you. Can imagine how scary it was for the driver.”
And a fifth declared: “You are a hero! A great show of your kind nature. The world needs more people like you.”
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