A lorry driver became a laughing stock after he followed his sat nav down a narrow country lane – and got wedged between two buildings.
The red-faced trucker was delivering soft drinks to a convenience store in Bruton, Somerset, when he drove his 13-tonne HGV down a tiny back street.
But the road became so narrow he got stuck between an estate agent and a house on either side of the road.
He was unable to reverse back up the lane due to its steep incline and was forced to sleep in his truck overnight while his bosses worked out how to free the vehicle.
Mike Clifford, landlord at the nearby Sun Inn, photographed the incident and was stunned at the stupidity of the driver.
He said: ”It was a very stupid thing to do and the locals thought he was a bit of an idiot for doing it.
”Even if the lorry could fit through the exit he wouldn’t have been able to turn without the hitting the side of the property.”
The incident happened on Monday as the lorry – operated by Ian Crank Soft Drinks – drove down St Catherines Hill towards the High Street in Bruton.
The driver tried to squeeze out of the tiny gap between Colbert Smith estate agents and the house on the opposite corner.
His the cabin passed through the gap but the back of the lorry got wedged – leaving the front of the truck protruding into the High Street.
Mr Clifford said the hapless trucker was ruthlessly teased by locals when he popped into the pub.
”Very little happens in Bruton, so this event was the talk of the town and the driver got ripped to pieces by the locals when he came into the pub,” he said.
”When he asked where the toilets were a lot of people started giving him directions and telling him to shout if he got stuck in there.
”It was all very good-humoured banter and the driver took it well although I’m not sure his boss will be thinking the same.”
A rescue team arrived the following day (Tues) and spent six hours towing the lorry back up the slope, causing minor damage to the properties.
Ian Crank, boss of Ian Crank Soft Drinks in Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales, said the driver has now been suspended.
He added: ”The driver used a sat nav that directed him down the road. I can’t accept that as an excuse.”
Why aren’t his mirrors damaged then?
If u read again, the cab made it through. The box didn’t.
Yeah, but the mirrors look wider than the trailer – at least in the front on photo!
you called him a trucker. i think the proper wording should be A DELIVERY BOY WEDGES LORRY BETWEEN TWO BUILDINGS.
The mirrors are wider than the trailer so he would never make it through……
the mirrors can be folded in for narrow gaps
the mirrors are ok because the cab is narrower then the trailer/box – he probably folded the mirrors before
Phenomenal! Another example of how Sat Nav makes people blindly follow instructions without using common sense!