Driver trapped for hours after lorry rolls down M11 motorway banking in Essex

The driver was trapped in the cab for three hours. Credit: Saffron Walden fire station
The driver was trapped in the cab for three hours before being freed. Credit: Saffron Walden fire station

A driver was trapped in the crushed cab of his lorry for three hours as rescue crews worked to free him next to a motorway.

The lorry came off the M11 in Essex, between Newport and Saffron Walden, and rolled down the embankment, trapping the man in the vehicle.

The crash at 8.20am closed the road for several hours on Wednesday, and again overnight as the damaged vehicle was recovered.

Crews from Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said the lorry had been carrying white goods.

The driver was taken to hospital with serious injuries.

The lorry fell down a bank by the side of the M11. Credit: Saffron Walden fire station

"This proved to be an extremely difficult extrication for the emergency services due to the position of the HGV which also struck a large tree causing extensive damage to the cab of the vehicle," said Saffron Walden Fire Station in a Facebook post.

"The driver was trapped and released after three hours of teamwork by Essex and Cambrigeshire Fire and Rescue Service, air ambulance doctors, East of England HART [hazardous area response] team, paramedics, police and highways traffic officers."

Fire crews closed the road as they dealt with the crash. Credit: Saffron Walden fire station

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