Trucker who hit M5 gantry guilty of dangerous driving

Baker, of Garnett Place, Downend, Bristol, was travelling on the M5 southbound on 2 March 2023 after delivering materials to a site at Cribbs Causeway.

He was seen by other motorists driving along with the lorry bed fully raised.

Police began receiving calls at about 08:20 GMT, minutes before the incident.

Upon impact, the bed became wedged vertically underneath an overhead gantry and knocked a matrix sign onto the carriageway.

After the crash, officers attended the scene and carried out a breathalyser and drugs test on Baker, but both returned negative results, Bristol Crown Court heard.