Driver escapes unhurt as vehicle topples

A man escaped serious injury after the 40-tonne crane he was driving overturned and rolled down an embankment in south Shropshire.

The incident happened yesterday just before 3.30pm on an unclassified road behind Stokesay Castle near Craven Arms.

The crane, valued at £200,000, became stuck on the lane at about 7.30am but later toppled over and plunged down the embankment as attempts were made to get it out.

The machinery ended up on its roof. The driver, a 54-year-old man, was in the cab at the time but escaped uninjured.

The crane had been on its way to carry out sewage works on behalf of contractors Black and Veatch at a site owned by Severn Trent.

It today remained at the bottom of the bank and the road was still closed to traffic.

Constable Stuart Coote, the officer in charge of the incident, said the driver had been shocked and dazed after the accident, but was unhurt.

He was taken to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital for observation and was later released.

Shropshire Council carried out initial investigations at the the scene and Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service also attended to make the crane safe and to stop a leak of diesel and hydraulic fluid.

Neil Forster, managing director of Direct Crane Hire which owns the vehicle, also attended the scene.

He said he did not yet know how they would move the crane but added it was unlikely to be for some time.

The Environment Agency and the Health and Safety Executive have been informed of the incident.