Looks nasty, thoughts to all those involved. Video on the link below.
The A17 remains closed this evening, Thursday May 17, after a serious collision between five HGVs injured five people.
Four military Bedford trucks were driving in convoy when they crashed into each other shortly before 12pm. An articulated lorry travelling behind them also went into the back of the last truck and jack-knifed into the other vehicles.
Rescue crews, including four air ambulances, four fire engines and four police cars, dashed to A17 at Swineshead Bridge near Boston, after reports of the “huge collision.”
Fire crews spent two hours cutting the drivers of the trucks and the HGV out of the wreckage.
Three men have been airlifted to hospital - two to the Queen’s Medical Centre, in Nottingham, and one to Addenbrooke’s Hospital, in Cambridge.
A woman has been taken to Queen’s Medical Centre by land ambulance. A fourth man is being treated in Boston’s Pilgrim Hospital.
The three men airlifted to hospital are understood to have received serious injuries.
The military vehicles were being transported by civilians not military personnel.
About time the whole lot was dualled from Kings Lynn to Newark IMO. I don’t believe that any UK road is inherently dangerous, it only becomes dangerous when you put frustrated and impatient drivers on it. As someone who lives just off the A17 I can confirm that the default speed for a huge proportion of vehicles on that road is 45mph max which leads to lunatic overtakes.
While we’re at it the A15 from Scunny to Peterborough could do with the same treatment too.
Based on the description and a quick Google Streetview analysis to find the farm in the video, it looks like they were heading towards Swineshead and the A1121 junction which can get quite busy with traffic heading towards Boston. Plus there’s a railway crossing just down the road and numerous farmland entrances too.
Having driven that road and surrounding ones plenty of times, it is generally not possible to get above 40mph as there’s either a tractor or just a line of lorries and cars in a very long queue. Risk is that since you can see the front of the queue, it can give you a false sense of security as the pace of the traffic seems steady until you realise that the car / truck in front has hit the brakes. Also plenty of idiots who think they can overtake in daft places just because they can see further ahead doesn’t help.
As for the casualties, bit worrying one of them was taken all the way to Addenbrooke’s Hospital compared to Queens Med, unless they needed the neurological intensive care unit as that seems to be a speciality. Hopefully just a precaution.
I passed these 4 army motors earlier on as I was heading towards Kings Lynn, and they were driven by guys in civvies, and the trucks were on trade plates.
the maoster:
About time the whole lot was dualled from Kings Lynn to Newark IMO. I don’t believe that any UK road is inherently dangerous, it only becomes dangerous when you put frustrated and impatient drivers on it. As someone who lives just off the A17 I can confirm that the default speed for a huge proportion of vehicles on that road is 45mph max which leads to lunatic overtakes.
While we’re at it the A15 from Scunny to Peterborough could do with the same treatment too.
Indeed, I live in this area and the A16 built as a single carriageway has to have been a mistake!
I view all of these roads mentioned as entertainment, for some of the stunts pulled are truly alarming, not just occasionally, but regularly.
They are new MAN army trucks. ■■■■ poor reporting as usual.
I wonder if the army trucks had stopped, in a queue, foot on brake, and the tipper hit them at speed, and pushed them into each other. Seems odd for four army trucks to all have a minor nose tail collision at the same time…
Quinny:
I passed these 4 army motors earlier on as I was heading towards Kings Lynn, and they were driven by guys in civvies, and the trucks were on trade plates.
Ken.
Saw them as well and they weren’t hanging about !!
It’s a terrible road. Badly needs duelled - it’s not like there’s a lack of space
Definitely not bedfords! Wrong tyres and the spare wheel is in the wrong place!
I would imagine they are long gone anyway. They were not exactly modern when I drove them
