M1 pothole blowout driver felt 'almighty bang'

A driver who had a tyre blowout after hitting a pothole which closed part of a motorway said he felt an "almighty bang" which "shuddered up" his spine.

Adrian Hargreaves was among several motorists affected by the road damage on the southbound M1 carriageway between junctions 33 and 34 near Sheffield at around 06:30 GMT.

The HGV technician from Leeds said it had caused about £150 of damage to his work's vehicle.

National Highways said three lanes remained closed during work to repair the road and warned drivers of delays.

Hargreaves said he had been on his way to Leicester when he noticed the speed signs were set to 50mph, prompting him to slow down and change lanes.

"As I went into the inside lane, an almighty bang went straight through the car," he said.

"I felt it through my back - it shuddered up my spine."

As he looked to the left, he said he saw five cars parked in the emergency refuge area.

"I could see somebody with a wheel off and I thought 'I've just hit a pothole'," he said.

"A minute later my tyre light came on saying the tyre's deflated and I could feel it."

Hargreaves said he pulled over and contacted National Highways, who indicated they were aware of the problem and had put diversion signs in place.

National Highways confirmed temporary repairs had been carried out earlier, with affected road users taken to nearby services.

A spokesperson said further repairs were under way, with a three-lane closure in place "for the safety of road users and our workforce".

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