A lorry stuck on a narrow village lane in Forder, Saltash for nearly three days had to be removed by a crane. The road haulage truck from Boons Transport in Peterborough got stuck while delivering seed to a farm, reportedly missing the entrance and disregarding a ‘no heavy goods vehicle’ sign on the road. An 80-tonne crane was brought in on Wednesday to lift the lorry out after its load of seed was removed by a forklift tractor. The removal process also required taking down power cables above the location to gain access to the trailer and cab before extraction.
Devon and Cornwall Police closed surrounding roads on Wednesday as crews worked to recover the vehicle. Interestingly, a similar incident occurred in the same location back in 2007, necessitating a crane for the extraction – and the crane operator on Wednesday had been present for the previous rescue as well. Local residents found the situation amusing, with one remarking that a stuck lorry every 16 years was perhaps the most exciting event in the area.
Pictures captured the lorry being lifted out by the crane, with onlookers noting the substantial size of this stuck vehicle in comparison to the previous incident. The continuity of the crane operator’s involvement from the past event to this present extraction added a touch of familiarity to the situation. The incident drew attention to the challenges posed by narrow country lanes to large vehicles traversing such routes.
As the stuck lorry saga came to a close, locals and onlookers shared their amusement at the unusual occurrence in the quaint village setting. The successful operation to remove the lorry showcased the coordination and expertise required to navigate such tricky situations, providing a brief moment of intrigue and excitement in the otherwise peaceful village.