Darth Vader breaks down on M1 whilst driving R2D2's car
The force was with Highways Agency traffic officers who came to the rescue of one of the movie world's best known baddies after his car ground to a halt on the M1 in Northamptonshire.
Actor Dave Prowse, best known as Darth Vader in the original Star Wars films, was heading north on the M1 for a role in a film when his car developed problems between junctions 18 and 19.
He pulled onto the hard shoulder and rang through to the East Midlands Regional Control Centre using an emergency telephone and a patrol was dispatched to help.
The star, who educated a generation of children as TV's Green Cross Code Man in the 1970s and 80s, said: "I was on my way to rehearsals and filming and I was also due to attend a reunion of the 501st UK Garrison, which is a Star Wars costumed charitable organisation, at the National Space Centre in Leicester.
"I'm the Commander in Chief worldwide so it was really important that I was there. When I broke down my boot was full of memorabilia and photos."
On-road traffic officers Craig Chapman and Asha-Jayne Neary, based at Watford Gap outstation, and control room traffic officer Jo Li who was gaining experience of life on patrol, were dispatched to the scene. While assisting David the traffic officers realised who he was and also the unusual history of his Mercedes car.
Mr Prowse said: "It has a great provenance as the car was previously owned by my good friend Kenny Baker who was R2D2. Because of Kenny's size he used to keep a little ladder inside the boot so he could climb up and put his suitcases in the back.
"When he had finished, he'd put the ladder back into the car but then he couldn't reach to close the boot, so he had tied a cord to the boot handle.
"I decided to leave the cord there as a reminder of the car's previous owner."
Traffic officer Craig Chapman said: "We meet all kinds of people on the hard shoulder and every day is different. But since I started work for the Highways Agency in January, meeting Darth Vader is definitely one of the strangest situations I've been in, but he was such a nice man and so grateful that we came to help."
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Tuesday 07 February 2012
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