Police launched a manhunt in the early hours of this morning after a van was found overturned on the motorway.
Officers came across the vehicle on its roof across lanes two and three of the M4 westbound in Wiltshire at shortly before 1am.
The occupant/s of the van were not with the vehicle when police arrived, meaning it had been left unlit in the middle of a pitch-black motorway for an unknown amount of time — risking the lives of other motorists.
Specialist police dogs and drone pilots were called upon to assist the search for the driver, but they could not be located. South Western Ambulance Service also had a number of resources in attendance.
Wiltshire Police says its ‘enquiries to locate the driver are ongoing’.
Dorset Fire and Rescue Service were sent to the scene to help aid recovery of the van, with the carriageway reopening at shortly before 5am.