Confused tourist, 62, is rescued by police driving on a MOBILITY SCOOTER at 8mph along 70mph dual carriageway
Driving down the slip road onto a busy
dual carriageway, the last thing motorists expected to see coming the
wrong way up the hard shoulder was a lost tourist on a mobility scooter.
But police had to rescue a man after concerned motorists spotted him travelling along the 70mph A27 and A23 near Brighton, Sussex, on his 8mph scooter.
The 62-year-old is thought to have travelled at least five miles on the battery-powered machine before he was found by police slowly heading north on the main carriageway of the A23 towards Gatwick Airport with the scooter battery almost dead.
Officers reached him just before 11am today as he was trying to get across the carriageway with traffic speeding towards him.
Police said that the man was cold and very distressed but physically unhurt.
They gave him a lift back to the Brighton hotel he is staying at.
Motorist Sarah Peck, who saw the man being rescued, said: 'He was sitting in his vehicle speaking to a police officer.
'He looked confused and bewildered, but was being looked after.
'I'd have been worried about him if the police weren't there.
'I'm so glad he had been stopped and was being helped, as it is not a nice place to find yourself lost in a mobility scooter - especially in the cold.'
A Sussex Police officer who attended the scene added: 'We received several calls re a male on a mobility scooter on the A27.
'A quick hunt located him, heading up the side of the A23 near Pyecombe.
'He was somewhat cold and confused. He seems to have got lost around Brighton station and ended up by the side of the dual carriageway.
'Fortunately we were been able to arrange a ride for him and his nearly-dead scooter back into Brighton to thaw out. 'All's well that ends well.'
A Sussex Police spokesman said the man would not be charged with any driving offence.
But police had to rescue a man after concerned motorists spotted him travelling along the 70mph A27 and A23 near Brighton, Sussex, on his 8mph scooter.
The 62-year-old is thought to have travelled at least five miles on the battery-powered machine before he was found by police slowly heading north on the main carriageway of the A23 towards Gatwick Airport with the scooter battery almost dead.
Officers reached him just before 11am today as he was trying to get across the carriageway with traffic speeding towards him.
Police said that the man was cold and very distressed but physically unhurt.
They gave him a lift back to the Brighton hotel he is staying at.
Motorist Sarah Peck, who saw the man being rescued, said: 'He was sitting in his vehicle speaking to a police officer.
'He looked confused and bewildered, but was being looked after.
'I'd have been worried about him if the police weren't there.
'I'm so glad he had been stopped and was being helped, as it is not a nice place to find yourself lost in a mobility scooter - especially in the cold.'
A Sussex Police officer who attended the scene added: 'We received several calls re a male on a mobility scooter on the A27.
'A quick hunt located him, heading up the side of the A23 near Pyecombe.
'He was somewhat cold and confused. He seems to have got lost around Brighton station and ended up by the side of the dual carriageway.
'Fortunately we were been able to arrange a ride for him and his nearly-dead scooter back into Brighton to thaw out. 'All's well that ends well.'
A Sussex Police spokesman said the man would not be charged with any driving offence.