I exited the M4 down the east ramp. I was in the left hand of three lanes signed A4174 as I intended to follow this lane to use the Avon ring road. The traffic lights ahead were on red and I pulled up behind the last of several waiting vehicles. When the lights turned green, the traffic in front of me pulled away. I followed through the green light and followed the very tight right hand curve at an appropriate safe speed. As I was passing (and most of the way across) the east bound entrance ramp to the M4 the vehicle HN70 BKX, which was in the lane to my right, solely intended for traffic heading for the M32, recklessly and dangerously cut across my path and hit the front offside corner of my car. I had caught the vehicle movement in my peripheral vision a fraction of a second before HN70 BKX flashed in front of me and I braked hard, thus preventing a far more serious collision. Immediately after hitting my car, Vehicle HN70 BKX left the road and mounted the offside kerb of the eastbound slip-road before speeding up the ramp. I glanced to my left and saw that the vehicle which had just hit my car had pulled onto the ramp's hard shoulder. Immediately in front and to the left of me was hard standing beneath the M4 overpass and I drove my car onto it to clear the roadway. I switched on my hazard lights, turned off the engine, then got out of the car which I locked. I then walked across the grass, stepped over the barrier, crossed the slip road and walked up the hard shoulder to where I found the driver of HN70 BKX standing by the nearside of that vehicle waiting for me. He told me that the vehicle HN70 BKX was hired from ONTO, to whom I have reported this incident via their website. I have also informed my insurers.
Mr Rex told me that he had assumed that I was going to drive up the eastbound slip road. I had given no such indication that was my intended route, because I was heading. It was pouring with rain and dark. The motorway lights meant that the nearside of HN70 BKX was in total shadow and I was unable to see the extend of any damage to that vehicle. However, when I got home, the front o/s bumper of my car has severe scratching from the collision
The driver of HN70 BKX was a white male, perhaps mid thirties, seemingly taller than me, so, perhaps six feet and wearing black framed glasses, plus plain coloured clothes; pullover and trousers (I think). I was too busy making sure I had his correct details. I took photographs of the car's number plate, which also shows the make and model
The driver gave his name as Mr. Piers Rex. He told me that he lives at:
2 Hazel Close Marlborough SN8 2AD
Junction 19, M4 part way across the entrance to the east bound slip road for the M4.
