A truck driver in the UK found themselves in a sticky situation this week when they headed down a narrow road that was too skinny for their enormous trailer to pass through. The truck and its cargo ended up wedged on the narrow country lane for three days, before a crane could be called in to lift the enormous load up and out of the way.
A truck and its enormous cargo of seeds was passing through the English town of Forder in the south of the country on Monday when its driver took a wrong turn. The turn led them down Castle Hill in the small Cornish town, where the road soon narrowed and wedged the truck and its 44 ton load in place, reports the BBC.
The truck couldn’t back out of the sticky situation, and was too wide to go forwards and clear the ancient houses that lined the road. This meant there was only one way to go: up. As the BBC reports:
The lorry cab was driven away and a crane was brought in to lift the eight-tonne lorry trailer while road diversions were in place.
About 30 homes in the village had their power switched off as the operation started.
Dougie Smith, of MacSalvors Plant Hire, was the driver tasked with the lift on Wednesday morning.
He said: “Once it’s up and in a horizontal position, it’s straight up and a straight lift.”
The trailer was finally lifted free Wednesday, but law enforcement in the area haven’t yet confirmed whether any penalties will be coming the driver’s way. After all, they reportedly missed signs warning that the route wasn’t suitable for heavy vehicles further up the road.
However, they aren’t the first person to miss such warnings, adds local newspaper the Falmouth Packet. According to the site, another truck got stuck in exactly the same place 16 years ago. Back then, authorities even called on exactly the same crane operator to lift the vehicle free. Maybe he needs keeping on speed dial for the next time a truck gets stuck in Forder in 2040?
It’s been a rough 12 months for heavy goods vehicle operators. Just last month, the driver of an overweight Ford truck crashed through a historic bridge here in the U.S and previously an HGV driver towing a load of fireworks crashed causing a rather spectacular light show for anyone in the surrounding area.