A breakdown recovery driver is in hospital with serious injuries after his recovery truck veered off the A31 westbound last night (Tuesday).
Rescue Drama on Busy A31
Just before 11pm, emergency services were flooded with calls reporting a truck crashing into the central reservation on the busy trunk road. The driver’s vehicle smashed through the barrier and came to a halt, trapping him inside.
Firefighters Fight to Free Trapped Driver
Fire crews from Redbridge, backed by retained firefighters from Burley, rushed to the scene. They used specialist hydraulic cutting gear to free the driver after an intense hour-long rescue operation. The man, who works for Ravencroft Motor Company, was on his way to assist another stranded driver when the crash happened.
Serious Injuries and Hospital Transfer
Hazardous Area Response Team paramedics treated the driver at the scene. He was stabilised and immobilised on a spinal board before being rushed to southampton/" title="Southampton" data-wpil-keyword-link="linked">Southampton General Hospital with suspected spinal and head injuries.
Tragic Echoes of Past Crash
The crash occurred on the same deadly stretch of road where recovery driver Terry Booth died in June 2008. Booth was hit by a Chrysler whose driver failed to spot him while he was repairing a broken-down vehicle. The Chrysler driver was jailed in 2009 for causing the fatal accident.
