This one is doing the rounds on the forums at the moment. It happened back in January on the A1 near Wetherby, just outside Leeds, and although it appears that the Police treated it simply as a normal RTA (road traffic accident) at the time, the emergence of this footage seems to have reopened the case. Not surprising, really – that lorry driver does not deserve to be out alone on foot, let alone in something that size.
It’s funny some of the comments being made on those forums. Apparently, it is a ‘hoax’ – I’d just draw your attention to the BBC story to answer that one (not to mention the other news channels which have picked it up)
One ‘expert’ insists that the lorry is in the 3rd lane – it’s clearly in the 2nd (they’re not supposed to use the third lane in the UK, so no doubt this was intended to be an attack on the lorry driver. Just a shame it was incorrect).
On another forum, another ‘expert’ points out that it is illegal to use your mobile phone when you are driving (driving instructors love this one – whenever footage appears online they always start showing how clever they are by asking how it was filmed). It is clear from the blurred view we have of the driver as the lorry passes that the passenger is doing the filming.
Only two things are certain: the lorry driver is going rather fast, and he has a car stuck in his front.
EDIT 28/05/2010: It just goes to show that you can’t make assumptions about anything. There is a story in the Daily Mirror today – the driver of the lorry, John Tomlinson, has actually been hailed a hero instead of being banned. It turns out that the woman, Rona Williams, in the car he is pushing had undertaken dangerously and had admitted this is statements to the police at the time.
The traffic commissioner, Beverley Bell, said:
“It is absolutely clear that you could not see the Clio as you were driving…
“You showed, in my view, coolness and a clear head. I feel it is entirely inappropriate for me to take away your licence.”