Lorry driver flown to hospital after bridge crash on A64 (From York Press)
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Lorry driver flown to hospital after bridge crash on A64 near Malton
9:50am Wednesday 22nd February 2012 in News
A LORRY driver whose 30-tonne HGV smashed into a bridge on the A64 was last night sitting up in hospital, having walked away from this devastating wreckage without serious injury.
The vehicle, which was carrying grain, hit the Castle Howard flyover two miles from Malton at about 2.25pm yesterday, causing extensive damage and closing the westbound carriageway.
The Yorkshire Air Ambulance was called and police said they feared the worst.
But although the lorry was very badly damaged, its driver escaped life-threatening injury and was last night said by 999 sources to be sitting up in bed and talking.
Chief Inspector Ian Thompson said: “The vehicles are very well made and are meant to take the impact and collapse to protect the driver.
“From what we first saw we were expecting it to be much more serious which is why the air ambulance was sent. It’s a very happy ending.”
The driver was out of the vehicle by the time firefighters arrived and was able to talk to police at the scene. The eastbound carriageway was temporarily closed to allow the air ambulance to land and to airlift the man to York Hospital, but quickly reopened. The westbound carriageway remained closed well into the evening.
The lorry driver, whose vehicle was from Clive Warcup hauliers near Driffield, was treated for a cut to his head and abdominal pains, a police spokesman said.
No other vehicles or people were involved in the crash.
An engineer was sent to check for any structural damage to the bridge, which was found to be safe, a police spokesman said.
Any witnesses are asked to phone North Yorkshire Police on 101.
Comments(18)
ISeeEverything
says...
9:35am Wed 22 Feb 12
micky moodys hat wrote:I think it's called mission creep.
It was indeed a lucky escape for the driver. What I can't understand is why the YAA was called when the driver was walking wounded. Doesn't seem to make sense
micky moodys hat
says...
9:56am Wed 22 Feb 12
Smiler
says...
10:12am Wed 22 Feb 12
MrsHoney
says...
10:26am Wed 22 Feb 12
What I always wonder when you read about crashes is why they happened in the first place. But there's never any mention in the articles, I mean how do you not notice the side of a bridge - especially when it's off the road?! He was a lucky man though.
Smiler
says...
10:55am Wed 22 Feb 12
MrsHoney wrote:I think he may have seen the bridge!
I think they automatically called the YAA and by the time the emergency crew arrived he was out of his wagon.
What I always wonder when you read about crashes is why they happened in the first place. But there's never any mention in the articles, I mean how do you not notice the side of a bridge - especially when it's off the road?! He was a lucky man though.
it only takes one second of distraction to allow your vehicle to drift to the centre line, then you overcorrect and things like this happen, especially with a wagon full of grain.
thats one thing that could have happened, another is that he took a call (probably hands free) or turned the radio down/over? things we all do, and it is just unfortunate that he happened to be approaching the bridge at the same time.
the crash barrier needs looking at though, as he should not be getting near the bridge. it needs putting further back.
Smiler
says...
11:24am Wed 22 Feb 12
I bet the phone call to his boss was fun, Gaffer we need some T-cut.....i have just sctratched your wagon..
Guy Fawkes
says...
12:38pm Wed 22 Feb 12
What I can't understand is why the YAA was called when the driver was walking wounded. Doesn't seem to make sense
The effects of head injuries (and specifically, hard blows to the head) can be delayed, sudden and fatal. If you take a whack on your leg, arm, etc., the bruise and swelling won't happen immediately - it'll appear anything between several minutes and several hours later. The same thing happens with swelling to the brain following a blow to the head (or an incident where it is suspected that a blow to the head may have happened). You need to get the patient to hospital, ASAP, and no messing around, and they need to stay under observation, with immediate access to professional medical care, for 12 hours afterwards.
My sister, an airline pilot, often tells the story one of her training captains told her. In some turbulence over the Atlantic, an overhead luggage bin burst open and a heavy suitcase fell onto a flight attendant's head. She felt fine after a few minutes, and so the decision was made to carry on rather than divert to the nearest airport for medical attention. About two hours later, she complained of feeling light-headed and went to the crew rest seat. Half an hour after that, she was dead.
the otter
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4:13pm Wed 22 Feb 12
Sillybillies
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6:11pm Wed 22 Feb 12
stevieboy308
says...
9:08pm Wed 22 Feb 12
Sillybillies wrote:so you know for certain that he didn't have steering failure, n/s steer tyre blow out, maybe he blacked out or god knows what else could have cause it, that may or may not have been is fault. take your kangaroo home!
Must be straight up dangerous/careless driving and prosecution should be in the offing.
Mentos
says...
9:49pm Wed 22 Feb 12
Catweasel 10
says...
9:53pm Wed 22 Feb 12
Smiler
says...
9:23am Thu 23 Feb 12
Catweasel 10 wrote:It appears that he 'rode' the rail, once he was on the barrier he was a passenger.
It says 30 ton but its more likely fully freighted at 44 ton and crash barriers are made to stop cars!!
I thought the barriers were designed to slow the wagons down upon impact? or is that just the high tensioned cabled ones?
A frightening accident, and as above, many things could have happened, as I said in an ealier post it only takes a second and something like this can happen
alemonster69
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5:07pm Thu 23 Feb 12
Catweasel 10
says...
8:18pm Thu 23 Feb 12
Crash barriers come about a quarter of the way up a wagon leaving three quarters above to just roll over if hit a glancing blow. I do believe the cable type give on impact to slow wagons but are not hundred percent. As you say if you mount the barrier from the sloping end you stop at the wall not before.
Triker55
says...
7:36am Tue 28 Feb 12
Triker55
says...
7:41am Tue 28 Feb 12
stevieboy308 wrote:So why doesn't the media tell us the cause instead of leaving it open to speculation?
Sillybillies wrote: Must be straight up dangerous/careless driving and prosecution should be in the offing.so you know for certain that he didn't have steering failure, n/s steer tyre blow out, maybe he blacked out or god knows what else could have cause it, that may or may not have been is fault. take your kangaroo home!
micky moodys hat says...
9:31am Wed 22 Feb 12