FRUSTRATED motorists stuck in queues after a horror crash on the A14 put themselves and others at risk by driving toward oncoming traffic, police warned today.

FRUSTRATED motorists stuck in queues after a horror crash on the A14 put themselves and others at risk by driving into oncoming traffic, police warned today.

Impatient motorists faced with long waits after the crash near Sproughton were seen turning around on slip roads and driving against the flow of traffic in a bid to find a quicker route to their destination.

While other drivers queued patiently during the rush-hour yesterday, some took the dangerous measures of driving the wrong way after finding themselves stuck in slow-moving traffic on the Copdock-bound carriageway.

And on the A14 near Newmarket, where the road was closed for up to 20 hours on Wednesday after a van carrying chemicals partially exploded, drivers were seen dismantling the central reservation in an effort to be free of the queues.

Tony Woodward, control room supervisor with Suffolk police, said: “It is stupid for people to do this.

“There could be something coming the other way which means another accident could happen.

“We understand it is extremely frustrating for people, especially in this weather, but they have to wait because they could cause us more problems or divert our attention away from helping other people.

“If we have to take our eye off the ball to deal with people who are acting irresponsibly it is bad news for everyone. We only have so many resources.”

Mr Woodward said there was not much the police could do to stop people behaving irresponsibly but he urged motorists to follow the instructions of the emergency services after accidents.

Yesterday's horror smash between a lorry and a car happened at 8.35am. It left a man, who is believed in his 50s but has not yet been named, dead and blocked the Copdock-bound carriageway for about eight-and-a-half hours.

It was just one of a string of disasters to hit the road this week.

Mr Woodward added: “It does seem to be getting worse. The amount of traffic seems to be getting more each year and month.”

See page 8 for a report on a horror week on the A14.