A motorcyclist in Essex had a narrow escape after a lorry drove head-on towards them while on the wrong side of the road. The incident occurred on July 16 near Lakeside, heading towards the Dartford Crossing, where traffic had come to a standstill for several hours. The opposite carriageway was empty, making the unexpected appearance of the lorry all the more shocking.
Emergency stop to avoid collision
The motorcyclist, who goes by @motocasperuk on TikTok, described the moment they had to perform an emergency stop to avoid a head-on crash. 'As an experienced rider, I always expect the unexpected, and I expected cars doing U-turns. But this wasn't something I expected,' they said. 'It wasn't a pleasant moment, I locked the rear wheel. It was an emergency stop for me. I was pinned against the curb, I left a black mark from my tyre all the way down the road from braking.'
The rider, who was travelling at 40mph in a 50mph zone, managed to pull over to the side of the road as the lorry continued forward, missing the bike by inches. 'When I stopped, the truck was an inch or two from the corner of my bike,' they added.
Cause of the wrong-way driving
It was later reported that the traffic in the opposite direction was due to a crash near junction 31 for Lakeside Shopping Centre in Grays, Essex. The lorry, along with a Subaru, was seen on the empty road in footage shared on social media, which racked up thousands of views.
The motorcyclist reflected on the incident: 'I've been around bikes my entire life and accidents on and off the tracks don't scare me much but that truck coming at me made me question what I was seeing.' They added that if it had been a less experienced rider, 'it might have been a different situation or outcome.'
Police investigation and awareness
The rider reported the incident to Essex Police and shared the footage. The force confirmed that a report of 'driving without due care and attention' is being processed. In a comment on the post, the rider said Essex Police confirmed 'positive action was taken' and are attempting to identify the driver.
'I've actually not been out on my bike since. I felt anger and disbelief, I was appalled,' the motorcyclist said. 'I want to make awareness for drivers, that us motorcyclists, we are watching, we do record, and we will share it.'
