Family 'freaked out' after spotting self-driving Audi with no passengers on M55 from Blackpool to Preston

“It was the weirdest thing I ever saw,” said an anonymous poster who shared the freaky tale on a local Facebook page.

“Driving from Blackpool to Preston and passed a car in middle lane on M55 with no driver! Three of us saw this and there was no one in that car. Any suggestions how this was possible? Seriously!”

The uncanny encounter happened on Tuesday evening and the adult passenger, who remains anonymous for fear of ridicule, was left flummoxed by what they saw.

And this wasn’t your high-tech Tesla or cutting-edge prototype but a 20 year-old Audi registered in Oxford in 2005.

“I know it sounds mad, but I am serious. It was an older Audi, an A2 or A3, and the first three letters were OY55. Tried to memorise it all but it had gone by time we got to Preston. If it was a newer car I would think it was being illegally tested.

“It stayed constantly in middle lane doing exactly 70 miles per hour. Utterly bizarre. The middle lane hogging was what made us look to see who was driving (or not in this case!).”

The family remain puzzled by their strange sighting, with the anonymous poster left questioning how it was even possible.

“It could be an elaborate prank but if so, an illegal one?,” said the man. “It’s a freaky one and I doubt I will ever get an explanation. Kept me awake last night.”

Prank, tiny driver...or a ghost car?

Could it have been a short person behind the wheel? “I did consider that but three of us are certain all the seats were empty. God it sounds like a Stephen King novel!”

What about pictures? Unfortunately, the man’s phone was tucked away in a bag inside the boot.

“I was front seat passenger, my dad was driving and my son in back,” he explained. “My mobile was in my bag in the boot which I regret now. I know what I saw. People can choose to believe what they wish.”

He added: “To be honest, if it isn’t a prank I would have to think it was a ghost car.

“Some people on here already think I’ve been on the cooking sherry or worse, but I saw what I saw…Just had to share the experience as I can’t stop thinking about it!”

And believe it or not, they’re not the only ones who claim to have seen the completely empty car on its travels around Lancashire.

“Omg I saw one go past me the other night in Thornton! It totally freaked me out. It was a smallish car a bit boxy looking,” said Carla Farrar.

While Michelle Brereton shared her own mysterious encounter with a driverless car which suddenly vanished.

“NO joke this has happened to us a few years back. It was the car behind us. Both myself and husband saw it and when he looked in the mirror it had disappeared. It was really strange. A dark blue car like an old Ford.”

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“This isn't the first time such a thing has happened on that stretch,” said Charles Cross who shared his own spine-tingling tale of phantom cars roaming the roads around Lancashire.

“Two years ago, a car was seen weaving from lane to lane heading past the Kirkham bypass and several other motorists swore blind that nobody was behind the wheel.

“It was followed by one motorist down to the Preston/Lancaster turn off, whereupon it turned toward Woodplumpton, entered Back Lane and disappeared beyond one of the right turns.

“The driver following the vehicle was left utterly bewildered by what he witnessed, but at no time did he see a driver, nor were there any indications given by the ghostly vehicle.

“As they used to say in the old Creepy Worlds comics..."what do you think, reader?”