Accelerator jam car hits 135mph
A motorist drove for 60 miles at speeds of 135mph after the accelerator on his BMW car jammed and his brakes failed.
Kevin Nicolle, 26, was on the A1 near Thirsk in North Yorkshire when the car started to accelerate.
"I was in tears most of the time on the phone to the police - I really could see myself dying," he told the BBC.
He had to drive on the hard shoulder to avoid crashing but eventually lost control and hit a roundabout near Blyth, Notts, but escaped unhurt.
Speaking to BBC Five Live about the incident on 5 March Mr Nicolle said: "I was travelling down the motorway and I came to traffic in front of me.
"I took my foot off the accelerator because it's automatic - but I wasn't slowing down at all.
"I hit the brakes. They were braking ok, they were keeping me at about 70mph.
"So I phoned up the police after I called the AA and they said straight away 'stick your hazard lights on and headlights on - we've go a helicopter on route to you'."
Police patrol cars were also sent but struggled to catch up with the BMW 318.
Mr Nicolle said: "Then the brakes started burning out - I could see smoke coming from the brakes."
He tried to put the car into neutral but the gears were jammed.
Mr Nicolle was in constant contact with the police on a hands-free phone.
As he approached Blyth he saw a sign for a roundabout.
"There was a load of cars parked waiting to go onto the roundabout, so I went on the inside on the hard shoulder to try to get around it.
"But doing that sort of speed there was no chance and I hit the roundabout head on.
"I remember the 999 lady saying 'he's crashed'.
"I survived the accident but I thought I was going to die in the fire."
But miraculously he walked away completely unhurt - and said he is now considering giving up driving for good.
Mr Nicolle said the police took the car away for tests and BMW said they would carry out a full investigation.
The R reg car had 107,000 miles on the clock and had three months remaining on the MOT.
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Sh*t. Imagine that. Roundabout at 115 after 60 miles at 135 mph and survived.
A motorist drove for 60 miles at speeds of 135mph after the accelerator on his BMW car jammed and his brakes failed.
Kevin Nicolle, 26, was on the A1 near Thirsk in North Yorkshire when the car started to accelerate.
"I was in tears most of the time on the phone to the police - I really could see myself dying," he told the BBC.
He had to drive on the hard shoulder to avoid crashing but eventually lost control and hit a roundabout near Blyth, Notts, but escaped unhurt.
Speaking to BBC Five Live about the incident on 5 March Mr Nicolle said: "I was travelling down the motorway and I came to traffic in front of me.
"I took my foot off the accelerator because it's automatic - but I wasn't slowing down at all.
"I hit the brakes. They were braking ok, they were keeping me at about 70mph.
"So I phoned up the police after I called the AA and they said straight away 'stick your hazard lights on and headlights on - we've go a helicopter on route to you'."
Police patrol cars were also sent but struggled to catch up with the BMW 318.
Mr Nicolle said: "Then the brakes started burning out - I could see smoke coming from the brakes."
He tried to put the car into neutral but the gears were jammed.
Mr Nicolle was in constant contact with the police on a hands-free phone.
As he approached Blyth he saw a sign for a roundabout.
"There was a load of cars parked waiting to go onto the roundabout, so I went on the inside on the hard shoulder to try to get around it.
"But doing that sort of speed there was no chance and I hit the roundabout head on.
"I remember the 999 lady saying 'he's crashed'.
"I survived the accident but I thought I was going to die in the fire."
But miraculously he walked away completely unhurt - and said he is now considering giving up driving for good.
Mr Nicolle said the police took the car away for tests and BMW said they would carry out a full investigation.
The R reg car had 107,000 miles on the clock and had three months remaining on the MOT.
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Sh*t. Imagine that. Roundabout at 115 after 60 miles at 135 mph and survived.
.
