True scale of M6 lorry crash laid bare in jaw-dropping new pictures
New images have shown the shocking scenes that greeted emergency services after a lorry crashed from a bridge and onto an embankment below. The HGV crashed off the M6 near Thelwall Viaduct in torrential rain on Monday evening, plummeting 60ft down an embankment.[1] Shocking new pictures have shown the severe damage sustained by the HGV after it crashed through barriers.
Miraculously, the driver survived with injuries said to be non life-threatening. Firefighters deployed ropes and specialist tools to descend the verge and reach the injured driver, amid the mangled wreckage of their vehicle within the trees and undergrowth. Upon extraction, the driver was immediately handed over to the care of awaiting paramedics and is currently believed to be in hospital, reports the Manchester Evening News[2].
READ MORE: Holidaymaker’s Range Rover ‘written off’ after he used meet and greet at Manchester Airport[3] READ MORE: Driver led police on 100mph chase and then staged burglary in bid to get away with it[4] Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service took to X, formerly Twitter[5], commending everyone involved in last night’s successful rescue mission.
They said: “Fantastic work by our crews and partner agencies last night, who rescued the driver of a heavy goods vehicle that had left the carriageway of the M6 North, J20- J21, close to the Thelwall Viaduct, and overturned on an embankment.”
The wrecked lorry (Image: Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service)
Newly released images show a team of rescuers, wielding torches at the accident site, assessing the upturned lorry from beneath a bridge on the motorway’s southbound stretch. Close-up shots further reveal the dramatic extent of the damage to the HGV. A major response from emergency services was mobilised just after 6.50pm.
Highway authorities have been tackling “complex repairs” since Tuesday morning. Currently, two lanes are still shut on the northbound side between junction 20 at Lymm and junction 21 near Warrington. Motorists are being warned about significant delays in the vicinity.
The lorry which crashed off the M6 (Image: Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service)
National Highways issued a statement saying: “A complex repair operation is underway and will continue throughout the morning.
Expect delays into the morning peak. Allow extra time.” Further updates from National Highways this morning indicate that a specialist team is set to recover the lorry, with recovery vehicles reportedly heading towards the site.
Congestion spanning approximately five miles has been reported near the incident.
Join the North Wales Live WhatsApp community group where you can get the latest stories delivered straight to your phone[6]
References
- ^ plummeting 60ft down an embankment. (www.dailypost.co.uk)
- ^ the Manchester Evening News (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
- ^ Holidaymaker’s Range Rover ‘written off’ after he used meet and greet at Manchester Airport (www.dailypost.co.uk)
- ^ Driver led police on 100mph chase and then staged burglary in bid to get away with it (www.dailypost.co.uk)
- ^ Twitter (www.dailypost.co.uk)
- ^ WhatsApp community group where you can get the latest stories delivered straight to your phone (www.dailypost.co.uk)