The driver of an electric car, which had to be rammed off the road by motorway police after it "went rogue" at 100mph, has been charged with a motoring offence and fraud.
Nathan Owen, 32, claimed his £80,000 Jaguar I-Pace suffered an "electrical fault" which caused its brakes to fail.
He said that left him trapped and unable to control the car as it raced down the motorway between Liverpool and Manchester.
Owen reportedly stated he was on his way home from his first day as a children’s support worker. He said he feared he would die or kill someone else during the terrifying journey.
After he called 999, road policing units scrambled to intercept the runaway vehicle as it reached speeds of up to 100mph on the M58/M57 and M62 motorways on the afternoon of 6 March 6 2024.
An urgent police operation was launched and the Jaguar was surrounded by police cars from Merseyside Police and Greater Manchester Police for 35 minutes before the vehicle was finally boxed in and brought to a safe stop.
Police say that Owen has now been charged with dangerous driving, causing a public nuisance and two counts of fraud by false representation, following an extensive investigation.
In a statement, Merseyside Police said: “We have charged a man following an incident involving a black Jaguar I-Pace car on the M62 in March 2024.
“On the afternoon of Wednesday March 6, officers from the force’s roads policing unit were called to help stop a vehicle safely on the eastbound carriageway after the driver called 999 reporting his vehicle was out of control and he could not brake while travelling on the M58/M57 and M62 motorways.
“Following an extensive investigation, we have charged Nathan Owen, 32, of The Grove, Prestatyn, North Wales, with dangerous driving, causing a public nuisance and two counts of fraud by false representation.”
Owen will appear in court on 13 August.
