A Shetland-bound lorry driver who got lost in Perth ploughed into a railway bridge and had to be rescued from his cab by emergency services.
Fraser Munro was driving a Tesco lorry from Livingston to the islands on December 12 2020 when he was forced to divert through the city centre.
Unfamiliar with the roads, the 54-year-old made his way along Dunkeld Road shortly before 8pm and approached the railway bridge near Auld Bond Road.
His lorry struck the 15-foot-high bridge and toppled onto its side, sprawling across the other side of the road and the pavement.
Emergency services rushed to the scene and, having become trapped, Munro was helped from his cab by a Scottish Fire and Rescue crew.
He was then taken to hospital and later told police he did not think his truck was high enough to collide with the bridge.
Engineers were later called to assess the bridge to ensure it was safe to reopen.
Still driving lorries
Munro, of Oak Road in Cumbernauld, appeared at Perth Sheriff Court.
He admitted he drove carelessly and failed to comply with a railway bridge restriction, causing his vehicle to collide with the bridge whereby it overturned onto the opposing carriageway and adjacent footpath, damaging the lorry.
Munro had originally been charged with dangerous driving but a lesser plea was accepted by the Crown.
His solicitor explained he still works part-time as a lorry driver.
She said: “He tells me on the lead up, he passed through two bridges of a similar height.”
Sheriff Andrew Berry fined Munro £395 and endorsed his licence with four points.
He said: “Mr Munro, I’m sure that this particular event would have caused a great deal of concern to anyone who saw it unfold.”
The bridge’s height of 4.5 metres is signposted on either side.
It was struck by a tractor towing a crane six months before this incident, blocking traffic in both directions.
