Moment digger on lorry slams into bridge after arm left EXTENDED
The DIG bang! Moment digger on back of lorry slams into flyover bridge after careless driver left its arm EXTENDED while motoring along A23
- Joshua Scofield, 30, failed to lower crane despite warning system alerting him
- He then set off driving his lorry when the crash hit a bridge on a busy A-road
- Scofield pled guilty to dangerous driving, was banned from driving for 12months
Footage shows the moment a digger on the back of a lorry slammed into a bridge on a busy dual carriageway after a careless driver left its arm extended.
Lorry driver Joshua Scofield, 30, had failed to lower the crane despite an alarm system on the vehicle warning him about the fault before he set off on the A23 at Warninglid in Sussex.
Dashcam video from a vehicle travelling behind him on Wednesday, 3 November shows the digger bucket hoisted into the air as the lorry drove towards the bridge.
The digger bucket struck the bridge and was cut off the vehicle by the force of the impact, while Scofield continued to drive.
He pled guilty to dangerous driving and was disqualified from driving on Monday, August 15 for 12 months.
Dashcam video from a vehicle travelling behind him on Wednesday, 3 November shows the digger bucket hoisted into the air as the lorry drove towards the bridge
The digger bucket struck the bridge and was cut off the vehicle by the force of the impact, while Scofield continued to drive
The 30-year-old, of Crawley, West Sussex, must take an extended retest before he is allowed to get behind the wheel again.
His crash caused hours of delays for drivers as the road was closed in both directions while engineers conducted safety inspections on the bridge.
He eventually stopped three miles down the road at Bolney, and was questioned by police.
Officers also found that the lorry had two defective tyres which could have blown out.
The arm is seen crashing to the ground as it crashes into the bridge on the A23 at Warninglid in Sussex
The debris left behind the lorry driver is seen splattered over the carriageway
PC Barry Freeman, of Sussex Police’s Commercial Vehicle Unit, said: ‘The footage from the A23 is shocking,
‘Scofield is extremely lucky not to have killed or seriously injured himself or another road user.
‘The collision meant that the A23 had to be closed in both directions while engineers inspected the bridge to see if it was secure.’
The court also ordered Scofield to complete 100 hours of unpaid work, and to pay £500 costs plus a £95 victim surcharge.
PC Feeman added: ‘It is the responsibility of drivers to make sure their vehicle is roadworthy and that the load has been safely secured or stowed.
‘We are pleased that a dangerous driver has been taken off our roads.’
Source: Read Full Article