Police shame 80 ghouls who slowed down to take pictures of wreckage on motorway after smash left woman, 21, fighting for life

Drivers committed an offence by using phones and cameras at the wheel



Female trucker was trapped in wreckage for four-and-a-half hours



These are just some of the ghoulish drivers who were caught on camera slowing down to take pictures of a lorry crash in which a young woman was fighting for her life.

Police officers attending the 'horrific' accident on the M1 in Northamptonshire were shocked to see drivers crawling along the to get a better look at the scene and take pictures.

The quick-thinking officers set up their own camera and recorded all the motorists on the opposite carriageway who used their phones while driving - itself an offence.

As the police caught the careless drivers, the 21-year-old female trucker lay trapped inside her wagon for four-and-a-half hours battling to stay alive.

You're being watched: A driver wearing sunglasses and an orange polo shirt uses a small digital camera to get a shot of the horror crash on the M1 in Northamptonshire

A staggering 80 people were seen using their camera phones to get a picture of the smash.

Police have now released some of the images and sent letters to the owners of the cars warning them that they were committing an offence and highlighting the dangers of their behaviour.

It is believed to be the first time in the country a force has carried out such an operation.

Sergeant Nick Gray, from the Collision Investigation Unit said: 'After completing our investigations at the scene of the collision, we were astonished to see so many motorists using their mobile phones to capture an image of what was a horrific collision.

'Because of how badly the driver was trapped, we had a period of four hours before we could continue with our work and after witnessing the number of people using mobile phones decided to use a camera to film motorists travelling on the opposite carriageway.

Offence: A driver in a black executive car with plush cream leather seats can't resist flipping open his phone to take a picture, as the trapped female trucker fights for her life

Cautious: This driver keeps his eyes on the road ahead but sticks his arm out of the window to record the scene, as emergency services battled to rescue the woman

'During those four hours we filmed 80 motorists using their phones to capture images of the collision.'

The lorry crashed between junctions 15 and 16 on the southbound stretch of the busy motorway at 6.20am.

It was reported at the time that the crash happened when a blue Suzuki Ingnis was stationary on the hard shoulder.

The was closed for 11 hours as emergency services battled to save the woman's life. It eventually reopened at 5.20pm.

Sgt Gray said that in a number of cases the motorists who were caught taking pictures were using a company vehicle. The employers received the letters from the police.

A female driver in striped black and white top holds her phone at the steering wheel as she drives by the crash. She is one of the people who have received warning letters from police

Two lorry drivers show they have little compassion for their stricken fellow haulier, by whipping out their cameras to photograph the devastation. The southbound lanes of the motorway were closed for 11 hours



This 'white van man' uses his iPhone to discreetly record the incident in Northamptonshire. Little did he know that the police were watching him, because using a phone while driving is an offence

Ghoulish: A driver uses his phone at the wheel while crawling along the opposite carriageway to look at the accident. The woman was trapped inside as drivers took pictures

He added: 'The employers have contacted us requesting more information so they can take internal disciplinary action'.

He said the Force had taken the decision not to prosecute the motorists in a bid to educate them about the consequences of using a mobile phone while behind the wheel.

He added: 'Using your mobile phone while driving can and does lead to serious injury, and sometimes fatal, road traffic collisions.

'The drivers photographed showed a total disregard for the law and the devastation which would be caused to their own or another family in a fatal road traffic collision.



The M1 in Northamptonshire between junction 15 and 16 close to where the crash happened. The road was closed to 11 hours

'Many of the drivers photographed would class themselves as ''professional drivers''.

'I am astounded that people not only use their mobile phones to talk on while driving, but would also use them to take pictures, especially at the scene of such a serious road traffic collision.

'It is every motorists responsibility to make sure they follow the law and no phone call, picture or text message is important than risking your own, or other road users lives.'



