Father ‘lucky’ to have escaped M62 horror crash with only broken hand

'The car is replaceable, I'm just more bothered about whether the other guy is ok'

15:54, 10 Jan 2026Updated 07:48, 11 Jan 2026

Part of the westbound M62 was shut overnight (stock image)(Image: Getty Images)

A father involved in a crash[1] with his partner on the M62[2] on Friday night has told how paramedics said they were lucky not to have been more badly injured. Carl Adams was driving his partner to Leeds on Friday night - on their way to her early 40th birthday getaway weekend.

The 36-year-old Bridlington[3] man was driving his partner's Volvo V40 under the speed limit on the "quiet" motorway when he claims he saw a lorry in front turn on its hazard lights and move off towards the hard shoulder. Thinking the wagon had an issue, he says he moved to the outside lane to give it as much room as possible when the car was suddenly engulfed in smoke which subsided to reveal a stricken Vauxhall Corsa pointing across the road and in their path.

The hatchback is believed to have collided with the central reservation barrier, police have since said.

The couple's car then hit the stationary Corsa.

Carl said: "I didn't think there was anything particularly untoward having seen the lorry with his hazards on - which is why I gave him the widest berth that I could. This will sound a bit strange, but it seemed to go so quickly but also in slow motion - I recall everything that happened when we collided.

"My partner couldn't even get her door open and I didn't even look to see if anything was coming, I went around the car and got that door open and got on to the hard shoulder."

Emergency services are thought to have been on the scene within minutes of Carl and the lorry driver dialling 999. Despite being dazed from the impact, Carl accompanied his partner, who was taken to hospital with painful scrapes and bruises and discharged earlier this morning.

"The car is replaceable, I'm just more bothered about whether the other guy in the Corsa is ok," said Carl, who expressed his concern for the driver of the Corsa who was taken to hospital with a serious head injury.

He added: "I broke my hand because when I saw the crash coming, I put my arm across my girlfriend to protect her.

That's the arm with the broken hand on it.

"I wasn't thinking about it because she was my priority.

She was in tears straight away but it took me a while."

Having praised the emergency services and hospital staff, he added: "A car can be replaced and a bone can be healed but I wouldn't like my kids to have gotten a call to say 'dad's not coming back'".

The crash, which happened at about 9.45pm on Friday, closed part of the westbound M62 for more than 12 hours. Humberside Police are now appealing for witnesses as they investigate the incident.[4][5]

Humberside Police said: "We would appeal to anyone witnessed the incident or has CCTV or dashcam footage from around the time of the collision, to please call our non-emergency number 101 quoting log 437 of 9 January 2026."

References

1. ^ crash (www.hulldailymail.co.uk)
2. ^ M62 (www.hulldailymail.co.uk)
3. ^ Bridlington (www.hulldailymail.co.uk)
4. ^ Humberside Police (www.hulldailymail.co.uk)
5. ^ appealing for witnesses as they investigate the incident. (www.hulldailymail.co.uk)