Unconscious man drives for 23k on left lane of E314
The stretch of the E314 Motorway between Houthalen and Lummen was the scene of a bizarre incident yesterday. Apparently, a 41-year-old man lost his conscience while driving. The cruisecontrol and lane-assist kept his vehicle going for about 23 kilometres (15 miles) as police had their hands full to bring the car to a standstill.
Police received the first calls around 9 o'clock. The vehicle was going at a speed of about 80 kilometres per hour on the left lane and was not going very straight, other motorists noticed. It also hit the safety barrier on the left side, but kept going because of the cruise control.
"People told us the driver was lying on his seat with his face up, he also didn't react when they blew their horn", Gerry Peeters of the federal police says. A police vehicle had no other option than to overtake the car and drive in front of it in order to brake next.
"It was not easy to get the person out of his vehicle because modern cars are locked automatically while driving", explains Peeters. Another team of the federal police had to come to the spot to open the car. The man was transferred to hospital by ambulance, but is not in a life-threatening condition. Police investigate whether he maybe used drugs or alcohol.