Coach driver issues warning after shocking footage shows colleague’s near-miss with “suicide driver” in BMW

A COACH driver has issued a warning after shocking footage captured his colleague’s near-miss with a “suicide driver” that swerved over his lane on the motorway.

Martyn Slater spoke out about the frequency of road users trying to swerve past coaches after an unnamed colleague was the subject of a near-fatal collision earlier this month.

The coach driver had been cruising along the M621 near Leeds, Yorkshire with 32 passengers in tow when he slammed on the brakes as a black BMW appeared from nowhere and swerved up a slip road.

Terrifying dashcam footage shows the coach driving in the middle lane of the motorway at its restricted speed of 62mph.

A truck and trailer can be seen in the left lane, whilst a black SUV can be seen a few car lengths in front of the coach itself.

Suddenly, a black BMW comes into view on the right of the coach, seemingly preparing to merge into the lane.

The unsuspecting coach driver appears to only notice the BMW at the last minute when it suddenly swings from the right lane into the middle.

However, the BMW then slows down and brakes after it realises it is boxed in by the coach and the trailer, leaving the coach driver to slam the brakes.

Amazingly, the heavyweight vehicle manages to somehow slow in time, coming within inches of the back of the BMW, which appears entirely unfazed as it swings off into the left lane.

The driver then speeds off again, crossing the white chevrons on the left of his lane and down a slip road out of sight.

Martyn, 64, took to social media to share with other road users the potential dangers of the motorway and the hazards that he and many other coach drivers face.

He wrote half-jokingly: “Brave doing this in front of a coach.”

The post received dozens of likes and comments, with many users left shaking their heads at the BMW driver’s foolishness.

One person wrote: “Never mind brave. I say bloody stupid, more like.”

Another said: “Wow, that was a proper dick move. Total b****nd.”

A third commented: “Hope that went to a police porthole.”

Another added: “Suicide driver.”

A fifth wrote: “There’s nothing brave about being too stupid to live.”

Speaking to Martyn today he said: “It is a common occurrence, the car driver thinks because he is quicker than the coach they will leave it until the last second to come from the third lane to exit.

“On this occasion a vehicle was in the nearside lane just in front of the coach. So, the car braked hard to drop behind it.

“As you can see that was the space the coach was in. The coach weight is over 15 tonnes unladen so it needs a lot of braking distance.

“It is something we have to watch for at every junction, not usually that extreme. We are restricted to 62 mph and lorries 56 so we cannot just zoom past.

“It happened to me twice yesterday – not as bad but in both cases they came from the third lane at less than 300 yards.”