Busy road left blocked after slabs fall from moving lorry
DRIVERS were left blocked off after a stack of paving slabs tumbled from the back of a lorry and smashed on to a busy Derby roundabout.
Part of the Markeaton roundabout was closed by police while they cleared piles of debris from the surface of the road.
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A lorry shed some paving slabs on Markeaton Island. Police closed the road to clear it up, resulting in traffic jams up to Little Eaton roundabout.
This led to drivers approaching the roundabout from the southbound A38 becoming stuck in traffic.
The incident happened just before 10am yesterday when a stack of slabs fell from the trailer of a lorry as it made its way across the islands.
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The grey stones smashed on to the Tarmac in the middle lane and the truck ground to a halt just in front of the slabs.
A police spokeswoman said officers were dispatched to the scene straightaway.
She said: "There was no damage to anything and we had police cars out there very quickly.
"The vehicle was reported as having broken down and officers were told to block off part of the roundabout."
Initially drivers were able to manoeuvre around the lorry, which was coned off.
But after the truck was cleared, officers needed to close the whole section of roundabout to clear the paving stones.
This meant drivers who were approaching the A38 from the north could not access the roundabout and therefore were stuck in a queue until the debris was cleared.
Traffic built in a tailback towards the Little Eaton roundabout, but by 11.20am the road was reopened.
The lorry was owned by Halifax business R Dunnett and Sons.
Richard Dunnett, from the firm, said it had been an accident.
He said: "We use straps and netting to keep the slabs secure but this had obviously come loose in some way.
"It was an accident, which doesn't happen very often – but it did this time."
Comments
by smshogun
Friday, January 04 2013, 5:24PM
“Send me a dozen as I gan give them a good home.”
by marmitelover
Friday, January 04 2013, 2:53PM
“A52 Ashbourne bound is dodgy at the best of times.”
by marmitelover
Friday, January 04 2013, 12:43PM
“Bad luck at Markeaton island.”
by janine2011
Thursday, January 03 2013, 1:06PM
“The driver will face charges of carrying an insecure load as will the Transport Manager with whom the buck stops. Insecure loads can cause death to other road users, so a fine is the least that can happen.”
by Mr_Rational
Thursday, January 03 2013, 12:59PM
“Wow, the strands of irony and sarcasm are so entwined with the sense of humour fails and inability to describe the contents of photographs that it is difficult to tell whether the BTL experts think there's too much or not enough H&S about.
This would take longer to clear up than the A38 after a load of slabs etc etc.”
by stolen_ID
Thursday, January 03 2013, 12:33PM
“Another point (related to Hotlush's comment)
In the photograph why are the two police cars parked, on the inside of the roundabout before the spilt load on the outside edge of the roundabout? And directly opposite the A38 southbound exit preventing any vehicle in the outside lane wanting to go right round the roundabout to exit the A52 Ashbourne bound from doing so without an otherwise needless filter across a lane towards the obstruction?
This is probably the worst place they could have positioned their vehicles, not only for their own safety but for also causing a further obstruction and a chicane on the roundabout
In addition one of the officers appears to be wandering around, in live traffic in the middle of a roundabout with no High-Vis vest”
by towercrane
Thursday, January 03 2013, 11:22AM
“1 - 1/2 hours to charge the driver with unsafe load more like. Still no one hurt this time.”
by Hotlush
Thursday, January 03 2013, 11:07AM
“@Wulfram; /sarcasm Yes, they should happily wander around a fast road carrying heavy slabs because nothing could possibly go wrong and it's only the Police anyway.”
by stolen_ID
Thursday, January 03 2013, 10:05AM
“"It was an accident, which doesn't happen very often – but it did this time."
I wonder if he would be so blase if the slabs had of hit a following vehicle and killed the occupants?
The lorry operator has a legal obligation to secure his load and ensure it is transported safely, straps should not just come loose if the correct tightening methods and checks are completed”
by Wulfram
Thursday, January 03 2013, 9:19AM
“Looking at the amount of debris in the photo above, I'm amazed that it took almost an hour and a half to shift a few slabs to the side of the road. I suppose it took an hour for the officers to fill in the paperwork and undertake a risk assessment instead of getting on with the job as they would have done in the 'good old days' !!”