Runaway Telford lorry ploughs through fence after break-down winch snaps

Residents living on Elmhurst Coppice, in Muxton, said it was lucky the ending had not been more serious, as the street was full with people when the accident happened.

The truck was carrying tarmac, as work is currently underway by telecommunications company Virgin Media to lay new cables on the road.

Eyewitnesses say the truck had broken down and was being winched onto a recovery vehicle when the cable snapped and the truck rolled off the back of the carrier, down the road, hitting a neighbour's Volkswagen Polo and a window cleaner's van before smashing through a fence and coming to rest across a public footpath.

The accident happened just after 5pm on Tuesday, and many people living in the street said they saw what happened.

Alan Fowler, 65, was out walking his dog when the accident happened.

He said: "The guys from Virgin Media have been here laying cables.

"Their tarmac lorry had broken down and they were putting it on the back of the lorry, from what I saw they had been very careful because they had obviously got to a point where it was difficult and had put chocks under the wheels to stop it rolling any further.

"I was chatting to a neighbour who was waiting to get out of the road, because the road was blocked while they were moving it and there was a window cleaner in a van behind him.

"They were winching the truck onto the back of the lorry when the winch snapped and the truck rolled off and almost went in a straight line down the road.

"The car and the van saw what was happening and moved onto the curbs but it went straight between them and clipped the car under the driver's side headlight and scraped the side of the van.

"Then it carried on straight down through a hedge and fence and came to rest on the public footpath."

Mr Fowler, who is retired and has lived on the street for 17 years, said: "They are fortunate there was no one there.

"It could have been much worse if there were people on the path."

Mr Fowler said workers had been back out on Elmhurst Coppice yesterday morning.

Another resident, who did not wish to be named, lives close to where the vehicle ended up and said he arrived just minutes after the accident happened.

He said: "There are people up and down the path all day so it was very lucky, it could have been much worse.

"The workers were very good, they made sure it was all cleared up and made safe and stayed until after the vehicle was removed. A larger truck came to take it away at about 8pm."

A relative of one of the drivers of the vehicles, who did not wish to be named, said they understand the damage done to the vehicles will be covered by the company's insurance.

Emergency services were called to the street by neighbours following the accident.

Laura Maltby, spokeswoman for West Mercia Police, said: "We were called to a report of a collision in Elmhurst Coppice in Muxton, Telford, just after 5.15pm on Tuesday.

"It looks like a broken down vehicle has slipped from a recovery vehicle and consequently hit a silver Renault van and an orange Volkswagen polo which were parked and a fence and hedge were damaged by the vehicle.

"The road was partially blocked.

"An ambulance attended but the patient was discharged on scene.

"We're not going to be investigating."

Claire Brown, spokeswoman for West Midlands Ambulance Service, said: "We were called just before 6pm on Tuesday by the police.

"One ambulance attended, there were two patients who were assisted but hospital treatment was not required."

A spokesman for Virgin Media said: "Virgin Media is currently expanding its network in the Telford area to bring fibre broadband to more homes and businesses in the area. As we do so, we endeavour to minimise disruption and work with our contractors to ensure that work is carried out with professionalism and at the highest standard.

"In the case of the incident on Elmhurst Coppice, our local contractor has taken full responsibility for the damage to the fence and hedge, and is working to address this as soon as possible.”