A driver broke down in tears today as he told how he careered along a major road at up to 130mph after the accelerator on his car jammed. Kevin Nicolle, 25, was unable to stop the automatic BMW going at top speed following the malfunction on the A1. He called the AA and police, who began a high-speed pursuit of the vehicle through three counties last Sunday.
But the 1998 BMW 318 was only finally brought to a halt 60 miles later when it crashed into a roundabout near Worksop, Nottinghamshire and flipped on to its roof. Miraculously, Mr Nicolle walked away from the wreckage unharmed. The former lorry driver sobbed as he told Sky News today that he felt lucky to be alive, but was not sure he would ever be able to drive again. "I'm in two minds even sitting in friends' cars, I don't feel safe any more.
"I want to get back to driving but I'm not sure if I can. Driving is my life." Mr Nicolle had been on the way back to his home in Southsea, Hants, after visiting friends in Newcastle.
He first noticed the fault near Catterick in Yorkshire, and tried using the brakes to slow down while weaving through traffic and calling emergency services.
But Mr Nicolle began to panic when the brakes started to fail, and he was unable to put the car in neutral. He decided against turning off the engine for fear the steering would lock.
Police have apparently told Mr Nicolle that he will not be prosecuted over the incident. A spokesman for BMW said today that they were planning to inspect the vehicle next week.
"We're going to be sending someone out to have a look at the car. Whatever happened needs to be investigated. The car is an eight-year-old vehicle, and the way it's been maintained may be a factor." He added that there was no known history of accelerator faults with that BMW model.