Quick-thinking man buys two 99s from an ice cream van stuck in traffic

A man trapped in a sweltering traffic jam on the motorway was able to beat the heat when he spotted an ice cream van stuck in the queue.

Tony Randhawa, 32, was driving back home to Washington, Newcastle, on the M18 after a family gathering in Coventry on June 29.

He and his partner, Sonya Azam, 27, still had 100 miles to go when traffic came to a standstill and they became stuck in the melting 30°C heat.

Tony then spotted an ice cream van a few cars ahead in the gridlock on June 29.

To his delight, the owner agreed to sell two 99s for him and Sonya at a steal – two for £5, so not quite the 99p price tag they once had.

Tony said he heard at least 40 other motorists follow in his footsteps to enjoy a frozen treat on the tarmac.

He said: ‘It was the nicest ice cream I’ve ever had as well as the strangest. I had waited around five minutes inside the car and that’s when I saw the van and thought this would be great if he would open up so I walked over and knocked on his window.

‘He opened his window and I asked if I could have two 99s – to my shock the owner chuckled and agreed. He sold them to us on “motorway prices” which was £5 for two – absolute bargain.

‘When I was walking back with the ice cream dripping down my hands, I could see people smiling and laughing. Next thing you know other people were getting out of their cars doing the same thing.’

He said his bright idea turned ‘a stressful situation into a nice relaxed atmosphere – everyone was happy they could cool down.’

‘There was one guy sat next to his car on a pull out chair,’ he added.

After an hour at a standstill – more than enough time to polish off his cone – Tony said the traffic started to move again.

‘It made the inconvenience so much more enjoyable. I bet something like this will never happen again.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.