I was coming back from Bristol on the M4 late one very cold January night a couple of years ago.
Wanting to get home, I stuck my foot down. Was in the fast lane when I saw something in the road - too late for me to react I went over it. Heard a thump, looked in my rear view mirror to see something billowing out the back of the car.
Luckily, the motorway was pretty quite so immediately swung over onto the hard shoulder ( as did the chap who was trying to keep up with me).
I'd hit a lump of concrete which had punctured a huge hole in my sump!! Oil all over the carriage way and all over the front of the car behind me.
Waited 2.5 hours for AA ( the stoopid pillock in their call centre tapped incorrectly the motorway marker number so their breakdown van went to Newport rather than the London side of Reading!!). Called police to advise of oil hazard on carriageway. Said a patrol car would come out to us. In the end I flagged down a passing copper who wasn't interested in the debris etc on the road, but after we pointed out the dangers, agreed to call the motorway maintennance guys to clear it ( he sent them to the wrong side of the motorway though
)
Never did try to claim as thought I wouldn't stand a hope in hell - the impact had blown the concrete to smithereens - had fully comp insurance but excess was high so it was easier to pay up rather than take a hit to my no-claims. Just over £500 later, it was an expensive to see the in-laws
