Moment a 20ft container suddenly detaches from lorry on busy motorway forcing terrified drivers to swerve and slam on the brakes
Dramatic dash cam footage shows the moment a large container detaches from the rear of a HGV and narrowly avoids colliding with drivers on a busy motorway.
Motorist Christine Luff captured the heart-stopping incident while driving on the M25 motorway just outside Potters Bar in Herefordshire on March 22.
The 69-year-old from East Hunsbury in Northamptonshire had been travelling on the busy road with her 89-year-old mother when the 20-foot container became detached.
The trailer carrying the container detached itself from the back of the truck
The 20ft container shot across the road towards the central reservation outside Potter’s Bar in Hertfordshire
Amazingly, nobody was injured when the container swerved across the road, pictured
In the video, retired hairdresser Ms Luff can be seen travelling down the busy stretch of motorway.
A HGV pulling two large containers can be seen travelling in the left hand lane of the busy carriageway surrounded by travelling vehicles.
Without warning, the blue container then becomes completely detached from the rest of the vehicle and swerves across three right hand lanes.
One motorist was clipped by the container despite trying to dodge the object in their Peugeot.
The load then collides with the central reservation and comes to a stop. The HGV driver is shown driving across the lanes to follow his lost load which is now situated in the right hand lane.
Ms Luff then overtakes the scene and passes another motorist who has pulled over at the side of the road after being clipped by the container.
Ms Luff’s husband Brian shared the footage onto his Facebook page that night captioning his post: ‘Dashcam today from our car. ‘Wait for [the] 20 foot container to disengage.’
Since Mr Luff shared his footage, social media users have posted their thoughts on the terrifying footage. Paul Varley said: ‘That could have been so bad. Thank goodness nobody was hurt.’
Geoff Marshall posted: ‘Holy s***.’ Callum Turff commented: ‘Must have been a mechanical failure right? No way he made it that far if it wasn’t coupled correctly.’
Speaking today, Ms Luff said: ‘I slowed down with hazards on and saw that the rest of the traffic had slowed also.
‘I carried on slowly at first and saw the white car involved in the film, he had been clipped and had then stopped at the side.
‘Glad to be out of that unscathed.
‘I am glad to be a couple of seconds behind the incident and not getting rear-ended.’
MailOnline has approached the Metropolitan Police or a comment.