Lorry driver reveals a sneeze led to horrific crash on A64 (From Gazette & Herald)
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Lorry driver reveals a sneeze led to horrific crash on A64
9:46am Wednesday 24th October 2012 in News
By Kate Liptrot, kate.liptrot@thepress.co.uk
The devastating damage caused to the lorry which crashed into a road bridge on the A64
A DRIVER who escaped a devastating crash when his 40-tonne lorry smashed into a bridge has said the accident was caused when he sneezed.
Mark O’Brien escaped relatively unscathed from the crash into the Castle Howard flyover which wrote off the vehicle and caused the A64 to be closed for hours.
The moments after the crash were caught on camera by a BBC crew from Helicopter Heroes – screened yesterday – which showed Mr O’Brien walking on the carriageway with a bandaged head and blood on his face having climbed from the wreckage.
He was airlifted to hospital for treatment for a laceration to his head and a suspected bruised sternum.
Mr O’Brien said: “I just started sneezing. I grabbed my nose, went dizzy and then, bang. It makes me feel very lucky I got out of it. I got out with a few minor injuries really. I was a very lucky lad, very lucky indeed.”
A policeman filmed at the scene, who was not named, said: “We were fully expecting for this to be a fatality and I think the report was that it was a fatality but the driver was sat in the corner. He has got a nasty head injury but it looks like he is going to survive.”
The pilot flying Mr O’Brien to hospital considered him so lucky, he asked crew to get a prediction for the Euro Millions from him.
Speaking yesterday, Mr O’Brien, who lives in Bridlington, said he had not seen the programme because he was working but he was back to full health.
Following the crash in February, Clive Warcup, owner of the Clive Warcup hauliers vehicle being driven by Mr O’Brien, said: “These modern vehicles are very well designed and the space the driver works in is very well protected and this has been demonstrated by the way this guy has climbed out straight after with very little injury.
“He told me he had a conversation with the first motorist on the scene who asked if he was all right.
“He was able to climb out himself and walk on the road.”
Comments(20)
Even AndyD
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10:40am Wed 24 Oct 12
yorkiemum
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11:47am Wed 24 Oct 12
Buzz Light-year
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11:50am Wed 24 Oct 12
Mike Oxuge wrote:Yes absolutely.
I think it's time they banned sneezing at the wheel.
A campaign should be started.
"Take it easy, sneezy" perhaps?
All lorry drivers who have noses and who breathe should strictly stick to a lower speed limit, say 20mph.
If we can bend the stats enough we could then campaign for blanket blah blah blah.
Kidding aside glad the driver escaped serious injury, thats a heck of a wreck.
Grumpy in ZH
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11:52am Wed 24 Oct 12
CHISSY1
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1:02pm Wed 24 Oct 12
Buzz Light-year
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1:12pm Wed 24 Oct 12
CHISSY1 wrote:Yes. Me.
The good news was the driver was not killed or seriously injured,has anybody noticed that,
mortimer897
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1:22pm Wed 24 Oct 12
Elephant
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1:46pm Wed 24 Oct 12
YorkPatrol
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1:54pm Wed 24 Oct 12
Elephant wrote:Perhaps he’s a heavy sneezer and snot went everywhere
I just don't believe it was a sneeze that caused it.
Sillybillies
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4:16pm Wed 24 Oct 12
Grumpy in ZH
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4:23pm Wed 24 Oct 12
Grumpy in ZH
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4:23pm Wed 24 Oct 12
tomdobson
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6:42pm Wed 24 Oct 12
Grumpy in ZH wrote:I think the castle howard flyover refers to the bridge that he hit which holds castle howard rd which fly's over the A64 bypass
Soon after he woke up and saw that he had made the virtual Castle Howard Flyover completely vanish.
Grumpy in ZH
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6:49pm Wed 24 Oct 12
Thanks for the clarification.
Dennis.Dart
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6:56pm Wed 24 Oct 12
Jazzper
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8:47pm Wed 24 Oct 12
NoMorePlease
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9:50pm Wed 24 Oct 12
mortimer897 wrote:When they get to doing it before the event let me know, especially the 3.20 at Kempton
What a shame this info wasn't published a couple of days ago, then I would have known to watch/record the relevant episode. Why is The Press so good at publicising things *after* the event.
baldiebiker
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1:03am Thu 25 Oct 12
Magicman!
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3:08am Thu 25 Oct 12
Grumpy in ZH wrote:Well I'm glad I wasn't the only person who read this and thought "castle howard flyover... eh?"
The Castle Howard Flyover doesn't exist. It needs one badly.
neosenate says...
10:17am Wed 24 Oct 12