Drivers beware, it seems that in East Lancashire we have quite a few bridge-related traffic accidents.

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Whether it's lorries crashing into low bridges or cars plunging through crash barriers it's worth taking a look at some of these memorable crashes and ensuring that you always know the height of your vehicle. 

 

Skew Bridge, Whalley New Road, Blackburn, August 2013

This HGV smashed into Skew Bridge, in Whalley New Road, Blackburn, in August 2013 resulting in the front of the trailer being badly damaged and its load of alcopops being spilt into the road.

Lancashire Telegraph:

Driver Richard Dennis McDowell, from Stockport, said he and his colleague had seen the sign 370 yards away informing drivers the bridge was 14ft 9ins-tall but thought they would be able to pass the 15ft 9ins lorry under.

Lancashire Telegraph:

The Culina lorry had been travelling from Blackburn to Accrington to deliver items including Red Bull energy drinks and blue WKD Original.

One lane was blocked while a recovery van was called and police officers controlled traffic to ensure it did not back up. The bridge had to be closed for over an hour while a Network Rail engineer worked to make sure it was safe for trains to cross.

The 10am service from Manchester Victoria to Clitheroe had to be turned back at Blackburn and the 10.40am service travelling in the opposite direction was only able to start at Blackburn. Normal services resumed at around 11.45am.

Nobody was injured as a result of the accident. 

 

 

Northfield Road, Rising Bridge, November 2009

A couple escaped serious injury when their luxury car ploughed off Northfield Road in Rising Bridge in November 2009. The £40,000 Mercedes CLK crashed off the northbound A56 bypass, smashed through metal barriers and landed on its wheels in Northfield Road, Rising Bridge, police said.

Lancashire Telegraph:

Amazingly the pair were not seriously injured, with police saying the sturdiness of the car may have saved their lives.

Sgt Mick Young said: “If they had been in a less substantial car than their Mercedes, we probably would be looking at far more serious injuries or even death.

 

Bolton Road, July 2009

This HGV hit the bridge in Bolton Road, near Infirmary Road, in July 2009, causing huge tailbacks and disruption on the rail network.

The road was closed for most of the day as the bridge had become unstable and engineers were called to inspect it.

Replacement bus services ran between Blackburn and Bolton for much of the evening.

Lancashire Telegraph:

 

 

Bolton Road,  August 2015

Lancashire Telegraph:

The Bolton Road bridge took another hit this August when another lorry appeared to have misjudged the height of the bridge. The road was reopened after a short time and nobody was injured. 

 

Galligreaves Street, Blackburn, October 1998

A BUS driver forced schoolchildren to dive for cover in October 1998 when he smashed into a low bridge and told a court he had forgotten it was a double decker.

Twenty two St Wilfrid's High School pupils narrowly escaped serious injury when the roof of the bus was peeled off as it went under a low bridge in Galligreaves Street, Blackburn.

Blackburn magistrates were told the incident could have been far more serious if a 14-year-old girl on the top deck had not seen what was about to happen and shouted "duck" to her friends, many of whom suffered cuts and bruises and shock.

The driver was subsequently demoted to driving minibuses.

Lancashire Telegraph:

 

 Willows Lane, Accrington, September 1977

Lancashire Telegraph:

Eighteen schoolchildren had a narrow escape when the top of a bus was ripped off by a low railway bridge in Willows Lane Accrington in 1977.

The first of seven ambulances arrived on the scene within two minutes and 18 children and one man were taken to Accrington Victoria Hospital within 11 minutes of the crash.

The children from St Peter’s and St Oswald’s primary schools and Holy Family secondary school, Accrington, were treated for shock and minor cuts and bruises.

The driver Gilbert Rushton of Oswaldtwistle, who had been a busman for 40 years, was unhurt.

One of the children on the bus, 10-year-old Stephen Smith of Accrington, said: “I was going down the stairs when there was this bump and bits and pieces were falling on everyone’s head. It was very frightening; I got a small cut on my finger and I just dashed home.”