Crash car on edge of disaster in Walkden
1:00pm Wednesday 22nd July 2009 in Your Town
Crash car on edge of disaster in Kearsley
THIS was the terrifying moment a crashed car teetered on the edge of a motorway bridge.
After smashing through a barrier, a silver Vauxhall Vectra lay just feet away from plunging onto the M61 below — and into the path of oncoming vehicles.
But to the relief of the driver — and the anxious crowd of about 50 onlookers who had gathered at the scene — the barrier did its job and the Vectra stayed on the bridge.
Minutes earlier, at about 8.45pm on Tuesday, the Vectra collided with a Volkswagen Passatt close to the junction of Worsley Road North and Westland Avenue in Walkden.
One witness, who asked not to be named, said: “The Vectra driver was extremely lucky not to have been seriously injured and God knows what would have happened if his car had gone a little bit further and fallen onto the motorway.
“It isn’t a very busy time of day, but there are still cars on the motorway below doing 70mph. They would not have had time to react to a car falling on top of them from above. It doesn’t bear thinking about.”
Two lanes of the Manchester-bound M61 were closed as a precaution until about midnight. Worsley Road North was closed until about 11pm while emergency services cleared the scene.
The drivers of the vehicles — both males — sustained cuts cuts and bruises. They were taken to Royal Bolton Hospital and released shortly afterwards.
Tony McKenna, watch commander at Farnworth Fire Station, said: “The driver of the Passatt was put on a spine-board and taken to hospital.
“Firefighters remained at the scene until recovery vehicles could remove the cars involved.”
l A man arrested on suspicion of drink-driving and dangerous driving was later bailed.
