Runaway lorry sparks safety demand

Runaway lorry sparks safety demand

An urgent debate by Saltash town council was called for last night to discuss pedestrian safety following an incident in which a lorry hurtled through the streets and into the River Tamar after its brakes apparently failed.

The driver of the beer delivery lorry, Bryan Friend of Okehampton, was described as a hero as he managed to steer the vehicle away from houses and pedestrians on its way down the steep road into the river.

It had just delivered beer to the Two Bridges pub, and went out of control down the narrow Albert Road.

The driver's mate had jumped out of the lorry and run ahead to ensure nothing was in the way.

The emergency debate was called for by town and district councillor, Baz Gregory, who said new measures ought to be put in place to try to make the steep roads in the locality safer for parking.

He spoke of a tragic fatality last year, which took place on a hill, and an incident in which a vehicle took away part of the church wall in Coombe Road, and almost ended up in the Baptist church itself.

The hill on which this week's incident occurred, on Tuesday around 8am, has a gradient of one in five and residential houses on both sides.

One resident, Marion Smits, who saw the lorry on its journey down Albert Road, said it was going extremely fast, and cut the hedge like a strimmer.

Another praised the driver who, he said, had been the hero of the day. The lorry also managed to avoid moored boats as it was steered by Mr Friend through a gap between the Union Inn pub and the Livewire youth centre.

The landlord of the Two Bridges, Eric Holman, waded into the river with another man to help the driver, after being told by his son what had happened.

He also praised Mr Friend who, he said, had 'done very well to miss everything'.

He thought that it could well have been a major disaster.Mr Friend himself later said that he 'just held on for dear life' and prayed that there were no children in the way, journeying to school.

Later the lorry was towed from the river by recovery experts, before the tide came in. It was taken away for examination.