Cleared of Ml runaway faking
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N A truck driver who averted disaster when he steered into crash barriers to halt his runaway artic in May 1998 has been cleared of faking the incident. Michael Rayner was convinced he was going to die when the accelerator of his Scania tractor jammed open, leaving him doing 75mph southbound along a busy Ml.
He was initially feted for his bravery but then charged with dangerous driving.
The jury at Harrow Crown Court took just 70 minutes to reject prosecution claims that he was a "thrill-seeker" who had turned a genuine problem into a drama.
As the unanimous verdict was returned, Rayner was unable to hide his relief.
The court heard that the throttle of the Scania had become stuck just after he had joined the Ml, and because Rayner had previously over-ridden the tractor's speed limiter it quickly gath
ered speed. His brakes then failed and as he desperately wove a path through slower moving coaches, cars and trucks he first phoned his father for advice, then dialled 999.
Within minutes patrol cars were providing a rolling escort and clearing his path. As a helicopter filmed the runaway, Rayner rejected various police suggestions as to how he might stop because he feared they could cause him to lose control and overturn.
As the Scania neared the end of the motorway police evacuated the Staples Corner roundabout, alerted other emergency services and even considered closing the northbound carriageway in case he ploughed across the central reservation. Convinced he would "not walk away" from the wreckage if he failed to stop, the "terrified" driver finally steered onto the hard shoulder and used the crash barriers to bring his truck to a halt.
• During the trial the court heard that a colleague at Watford-based waste contractor Polkacrest had shown Rayner how to override the Scania's speed limiter by flicking the ignition on and off.
"Their expectation was to get as many loads in as they could," the jury was told.