Driver in hospital after crashing cement mixer

A man is being treated in hospital after the cement mixer he was driving overturned on a motorway slip-road this afternoon.
The road from Hamilton to Motherwell remains closedThe road from Hamilton to Motherwell remains closed
The road from Hamilton to Motherwell remains closed

Firefighters used hydraulic rescue equipment to free the driver on the M74 off-slip between Motherwell and Hamilton after incident was reported to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service at around 1pm.

Two appliances were immediately mobilised from Motherwell Community Fire Station along with a heavy rescue vehicle from Easterhouse and firefighters reached the scene six minutes later to find the truck on its side and the driver still in the cab.

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Watch Manager Gary Hoey, the incident commander, said: “The driver was physically trapped and he told us that he was in pain.

The overturned cement mixer (courtesy of David Hogg)The overturned cement mixer (courtesy of David Hogg)
The overturned cement mixer (courtesy of David Hogg)

“A trauma doctor and ambulance paramedics assessed his condition and they were happy for him to assist our crews in his own rescue by moving within the cab.

“We built an elevated platform at the front of the vehicle to give us a better vantage point, which helped us determine how best to free the driver.

“We then used a hydraulic saw to cut into the roof and create a flap, before taking out the steering wheel to give us the space we needed to lift him out on a rescue board.”

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After being released from the truck the man was moved to a waiting ambulance and taken to Wishaw General Hospital.

The overturned cement mixer (courtesy of David Hogg)The overturned cement mixer (courtesy of David Hogg)
The overturned cement mixer (courtesy of David Hogg)

Police Scotland officers closed the road throughout the rescue operation to ensure the safety of other motorists and the casualty, as well as of the firefighters and medical personnel working to free him.

The east bound carriageway of Hamilton Road in Motherwell remains closed while awaiting the removal of the cement mixer from the scene.