Staff flee as lorry plunges into roadworks

Workers narrowly escaped being crushed by a runaway truck – which also nearly missed hitting a gas main – after it hurtled down a Black Country street and into a hole in the road where they stood just seconds before.

The Biffa Waste truck plunged into a 10ft deep hole where engineers had been doing gas main repair work on Quarry Bank High Street yesterday afternoon.

Bosses are investigating the cause of the accident.

Eyewitnesses said they believed the driver of the truck had just left the vehicle when it started to move.

They said they saw the lorry shoot forward into the hole in front, due to the downwards slope of the road. Shocked onlookers shouted to the two workers in the hole to get out, and they managed to leap for their lives in time.

The base of the truck grounded before the wheels hit the gas main at the bottom of the hole – stopping just 6in away.

Police closed Quarry Bank High Street in both directions for around an hour as a tow truck was called to pull the truck out of the hole.

Nearby shop workers said they were thankful no-one was hurt and the gas main was untouched. Trainee engineer Mathew Pargeter works at Homers of Quarry Bank electrical store in front of where the drama unfolded.

The 20-year-old of Stourbridge said: "As it happened, everyone shouted (to the workers) 'Quick quick, get out'.

"It probably took around 30 seconds in total because of the hill. It's just lucky it didn't hit the gas main otherwise we might not all be here."

Peter Giddings, Biffa Birmingham depot manager, said: "We are currently looking into the cause of the incident."

Jane Taylor, spokeswoman for National Grid, who are responsible for the roadworks, said: "We will be investigating the cause of this as well."