Firefighters free driver of gritting lorry which collided with a house

Firefighters freed a man who was trapped in a gritting lorry after it collided with a house and overturned in Rochdale

Firefighters freed a man who was trapped in a gritting lorry after it collided with a house and overturned in Rochdale.

Two crews from Rochdale and an Emergency Response Unit and support crew from Ashton attended Broad Road at 6.10am on Friday 30 November.

The driver of the gritter was trapped between the road and the cab section of the lorry.

Watch Manager Thomas Hague, from Rochdale Red Watch, said: "We stabilised the vehicle then cut the cab away then cut the sunroof off using cutting equipment and in consultation with the ambulance service and we got the man out through the roof. He had injuries to his arm but he was conscious and breathing.

"The lorry had collided with a detached house causing slight damage to the gable end of the house. The people inside the house were asleep at the time and reported hearing a loud bang, but no one was injured. Crews on the scene assessed the damage and deemed that no further action was necessary by the fire service."

The garden wall of the property was knocked down and some internal and external cracks were caused to the house.

The man, in his early 20s, was given first aid by paramedics on the scene before being transferred to hospital.