Lorry overturns in Halesowen partially blocking road

The smashed happened on a busy stretch of the A456 between Stourbridge and Halesowen.

It overturned on the Foxhunt island near the Harvester pub of the same name.

The accident happened at around 11.55am.

Footage from the scene was tweeted from fire crews working at the wreckage.

A drone flew by Ross Wilkes also captured the scene from above including tailbacks due to the crash.

Emergency services had to shut the road at the island between Hagley Road and Manor Way.

Bus operator National Express West Midlands alerted passengers through Twitter that a service going along the route had to be diverted in the chaos.

Service 244 was sent on an alternative route to Lutley Green estate via Brassnage Road and Lansdowne Road in the aftermath.

A man had scrambled out of the wreckage by the time two crews from Haden Cross fire station and paramedics arrived.

Halesowen councillor Karen Shakespeare was driving behind the lorry as it overturned and called emergency services.

"It all happened in slow motion. It was surreal. I just stopped my car and dialed 999. There was some smoke coming from the front," she said.

"The operator asked if they had been some petrol coming from the lorry and I looked and it smelt like there was.

"By that time a lot of people had stopped and had gathered around."

West Midlands Fire Service spokesman Matthew Smith said the man had been checked over at the scene by paramedics.

Firefighters worked on the clean up with sand scattered to absorb diesel leaking from the large lorry.

Mounds of sand were behind the lorry with its trailer section open on its side.

"The owner of the haulage firm the lorry belongs to arrived at the scene," he said.

"There was a diesel spill at the scene that crews cleared away.

"A heavy lifting machine was called for."

Haden Cross fire station tweeted urging people to avoid the area after the road was closed.

Traffic was able to get moving past the scene later in the afternoon.

Emergency services were liaising on recovery of the lorry on the busy route.

One of the fire crews was able to leave the scene a short time afterwards but the remaining team stayed later.