Huge thanks to Driver, Rory Clark, whose quick reactions prevented what could have been a mass pile up on the M25 last week. 

Rory is an Agency Driver working out of Tilbury Docks on the bulk cement tanker fleet.  He had completed his first delivery of the day and was heading back along the M25 to reload at Tilbury when he noticed the lorry in front of him starting to weave across the lanes and hitting the barrier on the hard shoulder; rebounding him back into the live traffic lanes before finally coming to a stop in the central lane.

Rory immediately turned on his hazard lights and pulled on to the hard shoulder. Getting out of his vehicle he signalled for the traffic behind to stop.  He then gained access to the driver’s cab where he discovered the driver had passed out at the wheel and a very shook-up drivers mate was sat in the passenger seat.

Rory asked the passenger to put the vehicle’s hazard lights on to warn the vehicle behind of the problem. By the time he got to the driver he had regained consciousness and began to get out of the cab. He helped the driver and, once again stopped the traffic which was still moving around the stranded vehicle. He helped the driver to the hard shoulder where he could rest safely. Rory then went back to the lorry and drove it to the hard shoulder making the vehicle safe. He waited with the driver until an ambulance arrived and took him to hospital.

CEMEX received a letter of thanks from the driver’s CEO commenting on the commendable actions of Rory: “Who, through smart and excellent reactive driving, averted a major road incident on the M25. I am told that Mr. Clark, having quickly foreseen that our tanker was going out of control and was going to run across the motorway, immediately used his own vehicle to slow down and block vehicles passing his, preventing them coming into contact with our roaming vehicle that would unquestionably have resulted in serious injury and more probably fatalities. I gather Mr. Clark then also quickly attended my injured staff and made the vehicle safe from other road movement once it ran off the road.

I would be very grateful if you can pass on my personal thanks to Mr. Clark for his actions and the thanks too of my driver team who I am pleased to report are recovering well albeit with fractured limbs. Clearly you have a very competent and decent man on board.”