A sheepdog was at the wheel of a farmer’s tractor when it crashed onto a busy motorway as his owner tended to his flock.
Don the collie accidentally leant on the mini-tractor’s controls and sparked it into life, leaving Tom Hamilton looking on helplessly.
The vehicle travelled for 300 yards before smashing through a boundary fence and onto the M74 motorway near Abington in Lanarkshire.
It came to a halt on the central reservation with four-and-a-half year-old Don still at the wheel and apparently unfazed by his unexpected adventure.
The daredevil dog was recovered from the road by a farm worker and returned home as police and Mr Hamilton dealt with the scene.
No one was hurt in the bizarre incident, however, traffic was tailed back on the northbound road near junction 13 in the aftermath.
Mr Hamilton, who has worked on Kirkton Farm for 52 years, said he had stopped the tractor but hadn’t put the brake on tightly enough as he examined his sheep.
#M74 (N) J13-RTC due to dog taking control of tractor… nope, not joking. Farmer&police at scene,vehicle in central res. #maycausetailbacks
— Traffic Scotland (@trafficscotland) April 22, 2015
He added: “It just went off, I couldn’t keep up with it.
“Don was in the cab as it went right down the hill and right across the road.
“I thought the fence would have stopped him but it didn’t.
“I tried to run after it but I tripped and fell and watched it roll down the hill.
“I can’t believe no one was injured, it has all been very lucky.
“I think Don’s driving days are over.”
Mr Hamilton’s wife, Margaret, added: “It is just such a relief no one was hurt. I made Tom go to the doctor after it but he was more worried about Don than he was about himself.”
Traffic Scotland reported the incident at around 8.35am, warning commuters it was “no joke”.
The agency later let motorists know the route was clear and the dog unharmed, adding: “Has to be the weirdest thing we have ever reported”.
A Scottish SPCA spokeswoman said: “We are very glad no one was injured and that the dog is reportedly unharmed following this extremely unusual incident.
“This is the first time we have heard of a dog operating a vehicle in Scotland and we certainly hope it will be the last.”
Police Scotland said: “Police attended and found that a quad bike had gone through the fence onto the M74 at J13. No injuries and no other vehicles involved.”