Thelwall Viaduct crash: How ‘extremely lucky’ lorry driver escaped from HGV
The driver of a HGV, which crashed through a safety barrier on the M6[1] and plummeted over 60 feet onto an embankment below, miraculously walked away with only minor injuries.
The ‘extremely fortunate’ driver, now identified as a 56-year-old man, managed to extricate himself from the front chassis cab just moments after his lorry hit the ground[2]. He was ready to be discharged from hospital[3] less than 24 hours following the major collision[4]. Images captured in the immediate aftermath of the crash on Monday night depicted a scene of complete destruction.
The lorry, which had been travelling in the outside lane of the M6 over the Thelwall Viaduct[5], veered off the carriageway before landing on an embankment between junctions 20 and 21. A significant emergency services response rushed to the crash site around 6.50pm and shut down the motorway, as 1,000 litres of biodiesel leaked from the vehicle’s fuel tanks.
Shark’s new ‘transformative’ hairdryer cuts drying time in half and protects hair from heat[6]
The driver of the HGV managed to survive the crash (
National Highways/MEN MEDIA)
The fire service executed a major rescue operation to reach the driver, utilising specialist rope equipment to abseil from the top of the bridge down to the crushed HGV to provide urgent first aid, reports the Manchester Evening News[7]. Station Manager Andy Hallworth, speaking to the Manchester[8] Evening News about the rescue mission, 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 massive response, which involved crews rappelling down around 60 feet to the crash site, took place under the shroud of night and amid a yellow weather[9] warning for rain, making the daring rescue even more perilous. “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 said.
Three lanes were shut along the motorway (
PA)
“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.” Three lanes were shut down on the northbound stretch of the motorway, with crews working through the night to fix damaged barriers. Come Tuesday (October 1), a heavy goods vehicle was lifted from the crash site by emergency services.
Cops are now digging into what sparked the smash that saw a lorry fly off the road and take a 60-foot tumble. Cheshire Police’s Inspector Anton Sullivan 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.”
Police and specialist agents worked to recover the vehicle and trailer (
MEN MEDIA)
Firefighters were called to reports of an HGV that fell from height in a crash (
MEN MEDIA)
“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 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 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.”
References
- ^ crashed through a safety barrier on the M6 (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ his lorry hit the ground (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ hospital (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ collision (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ over the Thelwall Viaduct (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ Shark’s new ‘transformative’ hairdryer cuts drying time in half and protects hair from heat (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ the Manchester Evening News (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
- ^ Manchester (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ weather (www.mirror.co.uk)