Police warning after lorry falls 60 feet from motorway bridge

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Louise Thomas

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The longest motorway in the UK remained partially closed on Tuesday morning after a lorry fell more than 60 feet from a bridge.

The vehicle plummeted from the Thelwall Viaduct between junctions 20 and 21 of the M6 in Cheshire, landing on the embankment below, Cheshire Constabulary said.

The driver of the lorry is not believed to have suffered life-threatening injuries.

The incident happened at around 6.50pm on Monday.

Fire crews used rescue equipment to lower themselves to the driver.

Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service used water to cool the lorry and stopped a leak of around 1,000l of fuel from the vehicle.

This morning, National Highways said a specialist recovery operation for the lorry had been organised, with vehicles said to be ‘en route’ to the scene. Around five miles of congestion remain around the scene.

In a statement on Monday night, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “Firefighters were called to reports of a heavy goods vehicle that had left the carriageway of the M6 northbound between Junction 20 and 21, close to the Thelwall Viaduct.

“On arrival, they found that an HGV had left the carriageway and overturned on an embankment, falling approximately 60 feet. Crews used technical rescue equipment to lower themselves and reach the casualty, who was handed over to the care of attending paramedics.

“Crews have applied water to cool the HGV and are using bunding to contain a leak of approximately 1000l of biodiesel from the fuel tanks of the vehicle. While the carriageway was fully closed, lanes one and two have since been re-opened.”

Three lanes are expected to remain closed on the northbound carriageway until the morning due to the damage caused to the barrier, the service said.

In a statement, National Highways said: “A complex repair operation is underway and will continue throughout the morning. Expect delays into the morning peak. Allow extra time.”

One lane will remain open with a reduced speed limit.

Police have advised motorists to avoid the area.