Teen stuck on M25 for eight hours on first drive
A 17-year-old driver and other motorists were trapped on the M25 motorway for up to nine hours following a crash and subsequent road surface damage. The incident was exacerbated by high temperatures and a lack of supplies for stranded drivers.
Why it matters
The event highlights infrastructure vulnerabilities and the challenges of managing major traffic incidents during extreme weather conditions.
Image source, Supplied Image caption, Beatrix said one of her arms was burned from sitting in the sun for so long
A teenager who was driving for the first time after passing her test ended up stuck on the M25 for eight hours.
A crash near Lakeside Shopping Centre in Grays, Essex, at 05:30 BST on Thursday caused huge delays , with the road not reopening until 20:40 due to multiple complications.
National Highways said about a quarter of a mile (400m) of road needed resurfacing after an oil spill, and cooling was slowed down by the hot weather.
For Beatrix, a 20-minute journey with her relative ended up being a long wait in gridlock, but despite the pressure she said her driving instructor would have been impressed with her performance.
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