Jaguar driver who said ‘brakes failed’ released after arrest

Last week, a driver told The Bolton News of the terror he felt after, he said, his brakes failed on the motorway.

The incident was widely reported by media outlets, with two lanes shut on the motorway while police escorted the driver just after 2.15pm on Wednesday, March 6.

He was eventually stopped, he said, after his electric car’s battery ran out.

A week later, the driver was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and causing a public nuisance.

Today, Merseyside Police has confirmed that the driver has “been released under investigation pending further enquiries".

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In a statement yesterday, Merseyside Police said: “We can confirm that following an investigation, a man has been arrested in relation to an incident on the M62 on Wednesday 6 March when officers from the force’s Roads Policing Unit were called to help stop a vehicle safely.

“An investigation, supported by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), is underway and a 31-year-old man from Bolton has been arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and causing a public nuisance.

“He has been taken into police custody to be questioned.”

Police escorted the car as it sped down the motorway (Image: Jaguar stopped between police vehicles on the motorway)

The driver had told officers that he was unable to brake and that he was travelling on the M58 in Merseyside.

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Officers attended and escorted the vehicle as it travelled onto the M57 and then onto the M62 eastbound through Warrington.

Once on the M62, officers from Cheshire Police, Merseyside Police, and Greater Manchester Police, worked together to stop all other traffic.

They then used a police car to help to bring the car to a stop at around 2.40pm, 25 minutes after they were called.

This was between junction 10, Croft, and junction 11, Birchwood.

All traffic was held until the incident was resolved.

Last week, a Jaguar Land Rover spokesperson said: “Following the incident involving a Jaguar I-PACE on the M62 on the afternoon of 6th March, we are looking into this matter with urgency.

“A full review is underway to determine the cause of this incident, which is still yet to be established. The safety of our clients and vehicles is JLR's highest priority.”

Jaguar Land Rover has been contacted for an update on its investigation.

If you have a story, I cover the whole borough of Bolton. Please get in touch at jack.fifield@newsquest.co.uk.