Lorry driver dies in storm after HGV is blown over

Posted: December 6, 2013

Posted in: Road Traffic Accidents Wrongful & Accidental Death 

Yesterday’s (5^th December) strong winds saw the death of a lorry driver when his HGV was blown on top of two cars in Bathgate. The storm conditions led to the closure of many public transport links, including trains and buses, and people were warned not to drive. The accident occurred yesterday afternoon and the driver of the lorry was reported dead at the scene.

It was recorded by the Met Office that Edinburgh saw winds of 59mph, Glasgow 63mhp, and a gust was recorded in Glencoe, Stirlingshire that reached 106mph. At the height of the storm, Aonach Morn in the Highlands had recorded winds of 140pmh. By Thursday afternoon it was noted that around 68,000 homes had no electricity, after peeking at 100,000 earlier in the day.   

10 people trapped in a bus

As the weather worsened on Thursday morning, Police Scotland increased its travel warnings to a stage four red, advising drivers to avoid using the roads in the south, west, central belt and south Perthshire. By 3pm, the Scottish Environment Protective Agency (SEPA) had issued a total of 19 floor warnings. Aberdeen saw their coastguard team having to rescue members of the public trapped by the flooding on the Moray coast. Two people had to be rescued from a car after waves were starting to reach over the harbour, and ten people had to be rescued from a bus in Buckie.

Transport services were reintroduced later in the day after it was confirmed that “all the lines were safe”.

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