A LORRY driver had a lucky escape today when his HGV crashed on its side on a roundabout south of York.

The McCain lorry, which was carrying boxes of chips, was travelling from Scarborough towards the westbound carriageway of the A64 at about 5.40am when it fell on its side on the Fulford interchange roundabout, narrowly missing a signpost.

The driver was taken to York Hospital suffering from whiplash injuries.

Police said he had managed to climb out of his lorry by the time they arrived on the scene.

Traffic constable Iain Atkinson put the accident down to "driver error."

"He has been quite fortunate," he said.

One lane of the roundabout was closed to traffic, but large-scale road chaos was averted with police managing to keep motorists moving. Commuters travelling south towards Selby were being diverted onto the A64 or through Wheldrake and Naburn. Drivers on their way north were in a slow-moving queue.

TC Atkinson said: "We have kept traffic moving, most people have been okay."

A McCain lorry arrived at about 8.15am to unload chips from the crashed lorry.

Updated: 10:24 Friday, October 22, 2004