Lucky escape as artic overturns on wrong side of M6

GARDAÍ and local representatives have expressed relief at the ‘miracle outcome’ of a frightening motorway crash this week in which a huge articulated truck went out of control and ended up overturned on the wrong side of the M6 near Ballinasloe.

A Garda investigation is under way as to how the articulated lorry ended up crashing through the median barrier of the M6 motorway near Ballinasloe before overturning on the opposite side of the Galway to Dublin roadway.

The potentially calamitous incident occurred at around 1pm on Monday as the ‘Walsh’s’ lorry was being driven towards Dublin with a load of light waste timber on board.

The accident occurred between Junction 13 and 14 and the truck ended up straddled across the westbound side of the motorway, the layby and onto a green area at the edge of the roadway.

Both sides of the motorway were strewn with timber from the stricken truck and minutes after Gardai and the emergency services arrived on the scene that section of the motorway was closed until the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Gardai are investigating possible causes of the crash and are understood to have interviewed the driver of the lorry, who escaped injury in the incident.

■ Gardai investigating the incident are anxious for any witnesses to contact them at Roscommon Garda Station on 0906-638300.

For more on this story see the Connacht Tribune.