Driver injured as lorry overturns

THE driver of an articulated lorry was injured when his vehicle overturned during a delivery of metal to a scrapyard.

The accident happened at the H Williams & Sons yard in Wallace Way, Hitchin, on Monday afternoon.

The East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust communications manager Gary Sanderson attended the incident and said: "The male driver was pulled out from the wreckage and he had head and facial injuries and he was taken to Lister Hospital."

The driver had a one-inch cut to his ear which needed stitching and surgery.

A crew from Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue attended the incident and helped to secure the vehicle. They were joined at the scrapyard by police and representatives from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

H. Williams & Sons director George Bond said it was an unfortunate accident and that all the procedures on the site were adequate.

Mr Bond, whose company did not own the vehicle and did not employ the London-based driver, said: "He cut his ear quite badly and Lister Hospital did a superb job and he was released from hospital that evening."

Mr Bond said that on the back of the lorry there is a hydraulic ramp lifting system which tilts and empties the contents of the container.

On Monday the container had been lifted halfway up before the lorry toppled over.

Mr Bond said: "We've been operating here for 40 years and in the 18 years since I've been a director it's happened only four times. It's very rare.

"We had the Health and Safety Executive out and he went through the vehicle with the owners and we gave them full access.

"They were looking for any faults with the lorry to see why it went over but it was in good condition."

A spokesman for the HSE said: "One person was injured but it is not life threatening and the Health and Safety Executive is investigating.