The driver of a crane lorry which crashed into a bridge in Dulwich this morning is said to be ‘shaken’ after the jib nearly took out an oncoming train.
The Southern service to London Bridge was stopped half way on to the crossing over Village Way at 11am this morning after a truck with an extendable crane on the back was seen ploughing into the top of the bridge.
The 89 passengers on board had a near miss as the heavy-duty crane arm detached from the lorry in the collision and could be seen laid across the tracks in the path of the train.
The fire brigade was called to the scene at 11.25 and two fire engines responded to try to make the bridge safe. A spokesperson said earlier today: “No one was trapped or injured. There are 89 passengers on the train and we are working to detrain them.”
Roy Fielding, 60, who lives on Village Way called the emergency services after witnessing the incident.
“I saw it crash into the side of the bridge and there’s a train stuck on the bridge, it’s knocked a hole in the top of it,” he said.
The driver of the Jewson lorry was said to be “shaken” according to a spokesperson for the building supplier.
“We are aware of the incident this afternoon in Dulwich and we’re very relieved that no one has been injured or harmed as a result of the incident. As you can imagine, our driver is understandably shaken up at this stage,” said the spokesperson. “We are of course cooperating fully with the relevant authorities and will be conducting our own full investigation to find out all the details and circumstance around the incident.”
Southern services using that route were cancelled while work to stabilize the bridge was undertaken and services were disrupted throughout the day. Meanwhile, passengers held on the train at the damaged crossing were told to stay put until the route could be made safe.
Two hours after the incident a train was pulled up alongside the stranded service and passengers were assisted across makeshift platforms to the second train.
Video: Alex Graham