Dashcam footage shows horror moment lorry plunges 60ft off M6 bridge
Dashcam footage has captured the shocking moment a lorry smashed through a safety barrier and fell more than 60ft from an M6 motorway bridge. Police said it was “remarkable” no one was seriously hurt after the HGV left the northbound carriageway at the Thelwall Viaduct shortly before 7pm on Monday (September 30). The vehicle was sent plummeting down to the ground, landing at the bottom of an embankment.
The “extremely lucky” driver, a 56-year-old man, sustained minor injuries in the incident and was preparing to be discharged from hospital less than 24 hours after the major collision, officers confirmed. The motorway was closed overnight as ‘complex repairs’ to the carriageway began on Tuesday morning (October 1). READ MORE: Police update on ‘hit-and-run’ crash that’s left a woman critical in hospital[1]
Dramatic photos taken after the collision also showed the true extent of the damage caused to a HGV, which crashed to the ground before overturning. New footage released by Cheshire Constabulary shows the moment the lorry, travelling in the fourth lane, smashed through the safety barrier and was sent hurtling down to the ground. The lane closures were eventually lifted on Tuesday afternoon after major repairs to the barrier were completed.
Police also shared footage of the lorry being recovered from the embankment below the carriageway. An investigation is now ongoing to determine why the crash occurred and how the lorry came to leave the carriageway on Monday night.
The HGV was sent plummeting down to the ground on Monday night
Speaking to the M.E.N[2] about the rescue mission, Station Manager Andy Hallworth said that crews arriving at the scene were ‘amazed’ that the driver escaped mostly unscathed, and that they were ‘expecting a much worse outcome’. “The initial fire appliance attended the northbound carriageway and saw the HGV had left the carriageway from lane four and crashed through the safety barrier,” he said.
“Our technical rope rescue unit also attended; the team are trained to rescue people from height, below ground and tight spaces. The incident commander witnessed the HGV on the ground and on its side beneath the bridge. “Not knowing the condition of the driver, they had to decide the quickest way to access the casualty.
The technical rescue team set up a rope access system to administer trauma care within five minutes.” The major operation, sending crews down to the crash site around 60 feet, was carried out in darkness and amid a yellow weather warning for rain, with the elements making the rescue all the more challenging.
The ‘extremely lucky’ driver even managed to remove himself from the front chassis cab moments after his lorry plunged to the ground
“Our rope rescue technician abseiled from the top of the bridge. We also lowered down a hose reel because there was smoke coming from the engine,” Mr Hallworth added
“On this occasion, the driver was breathing. He actually climbed out of the cab on his own – but when you looked down from the top, it looked like total devastation. “Everyone on the scene was amazing.
Not everyone is aware we have these rescue capabilities, to rescue someone from height. As much as it is something they are trained to do, it’s not something they do everyday in such adverse conditions. “We were expecting the outcome to be much worse.
Without a doubt, the driver was extremely lucky.”
The lorry being recovered from the embankment below the carriageway
Inspector Anton Sullivan, of Cheshire Police, said: “This was a major operation right from the outset, utilising a multi-agency approach with colleagues from NWAS, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service, Highways, National Highways’ Regional Control Centre, and other departments all working together. It is remarkable that the driver of the HGV was not more seriously injured, and other road users managed to escape unscathed. “This incident had a rapid response and the scene was well managed by officers in dangerous motorway conditions, due to poor visibility and heavy rain.
The recovery phase of the incident was hampered by poor weather[3] and challenging terrain where the lorry had landed. “Police, along with Highways and the specialist recovery agents, have been working all day to recover the vehicle and trailer which were completely destroyed and to repair the damaged railing on top of Thelwall Viaduct, focussing on ensuring safety and a return to normal on the M6[4] as soon as possible. We want to thank members of the public for their patience with the delays that have inevitably occurred as a result of the incident.”
Subscribe to our daily newsletter LANCS LIVE NEWS and get all the biggest stories from across Lancashire direct to your inbox[5]
References
- ^ Police update on ‘hit-and-run’ crash that’s left a woman critical in hospital (www.lancs.live)
- ^ M.E.N (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
- ^ weather (www.lancs.live)
- ^ the M6 (www.lancs.live)
- ^ Subscribe to our daily newsletter LANCS LIVE NEWS and get all the biggest stories from across Lancashire direct to your inbox (www.lancs.live)