Driver describes his lucky escape when a digger bucket smashed into his car
A DRIVER who escaped injury when a digger's bucket smashed into his car has spoken of his shock.
Graham Thomas, 53, was waiting to turn onto the A1033 Hedon Road at the roundabout with Southcoates Lane, east Hull, when a lorry shed its load.
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Graham Thomas was in his car when it was struck by a digger bucket that fell from a lorry.
As he sat waiting for the low-loader, which was travelling east along Hedon Road, to negotiate the roundabout, he saw a bucket from the mechanical digger it was carrying come flying towards his blue Vauxhall Astra.
Mr Thomas, a transport manager with Hawthorn Timber Ltd, on Wyke Street, east Hull, said: "I was coming back along here to go home from my daughter's house.
"I was sitting there waiting for a gap when the lorry came around the roundabout.
"As it passed me, the digger's bucket flew off it.
"I saw it coming towards my car, but I couldn't reverse because there was a lady behind me.
"The bucket was wedged into the side of my car.
"It was a hell of a shock."
The grandfather said the consequences of the accident could have been much worse.
He said: "If the bucket had landed on top of my car then I don't know what would have happened – I dread to think to be honest.
"It could have been a lot worse – I have had a lucky escape."
The accident happened just after 6pm on Tuesday.
Linking the M62 with the city's docks, the A1033 and connecting A63 route has seen three crashes involving lorries in less than a month.
13 Comments
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by Catfish, Hull
Saturday, September 11 2010, 6:30PM
“Glad I wasn't there on my motorcycle, would've been brown bread. Bad attitudes and slipping standards, no one seems to give a toss anymore. It's getting dangerous out there.”
by Easy Tiger !!, HULL
Friday, September 10 2010, 10:36AM
“I had an AR Lunn HGV speeding alongside my car last night on Hedon Rd. There was myself and 2 other cars in front of me. He sped up to try and pass us all before he needed to turn left into their yard at the top end of Hedon Rd. Once he realised he wasn¿t going to pass us all and we were not going to be bullied into slowing down to let him in (he was flashing us all, using his lights !!) he had to slam on his breaks so he could stop in time to turn into the yard. The driver was doing over 30 on the outside lane of 2 roundabouts. The 40 foot container he/she had on the back was banging and clattering like crazy. My son and daughter in law were in the car along with my 18mth grandson, they saw how close he was to my car and how the container was lifting in its mounts. What an appalling show of driving and attitude that driver had !!!! This is not an isolated incident either, AR Lunn you should be ashamed of some of your drivers !!!!”
by Trev, Work
Friday, September 10 2010, 1:41AM
“How, embarrassing - plank.”
by Dave, East Hull
Thursday, September 09 2010, 10:42PM
“Most of the lorry drivers ARE driving to fast on this road FACT. Tonight at 7pm i used the Southcoates roundabout to access Hedon Road. After entering the roundabout a tanker driver had to brake very hard to be able to give me the right of way. I was therefore amazed to see him actually catch me up BEFORE i reached the first flyover. Had he not been speeding it would have been an impossibility for him to catch me up. I rest my case.”
by Stuck, Up
Thursday, September 09 2010, 10:26PM
“How, embarrassing
Snob. End of ;) .”
by How, embarrassing
Thursday, September 09 2010, 9:32PM
“Doesn't anyone who tries to rather inarticulately make some crass indignant point by concluding their childish, nonsensical drivel with "End of story, full stop, period" feel foolish?”
by Tony, Edinburgh
Thursday, September 09 2010, 7:30PM
“John Nicholson - I do not know the full circumstances of this accident - and I suspect you don't? I am a professional driver, with over 30 years experience driving HGVs and PCVs. I can honestly say the majority of accidents on the road involve the car driver and it is is their fault. I am not saying the car driver in this incident is at fault.
However, I have seen many car drivers use mobile phones read books and drive on cruise control with their feet up on the dash! If car drivers do not drive properly, get them off the road. End of story; full stop; period.”
by darren, hull
Thursday, September 09 2010, 7:20PM
“why does the HDM and the car driver say the bucket FLEW across the road. i do agree this was a very serious incedent and someone could easily have been killed. but HDM and the car driver are exaggerating i bit. ive seen a house fly, ive seen a dragon fly, ive seen a crane fly but i havnt yet seen a BUCKET FLY.......”
by andy, east hull
Thursday, September 09 2010, 3:41PM
“thank god the car is ok a bit off t.l.c. and it will be as new
lol”
by andy, east hull
Thursday, September 09 2010, 3:40PM
“thank god the car is ok a bit off t.l.c. and it will be as new
lol”