26.10.2011

Crane flip closes road

A three axle city type All Terrain crane ended up on its roof today after coming down the long steep Ebchester Hill, in the village of Ebchester in County Durham the UK. The hill has an escape lane as it approaches the village and joins the main road – the A-694 – in a T-Junction.
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The crane ended up on its roof

The hill has been the scene of previous runaway vehicle accidents, due to brake failure.
It would seem in this case that the crane approached the T-Junction and took a left hand turn onto the main road and went into a roll coming to rest on its roof. The operator escaped with minor injuries and was able to climb out of the cab after the crane came to a standstill.
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The operator escaped with minor injuries

The crane a 40 tonne Demag AC40-1, is owned by Mammoet, the road was closed while a recovery company was called in to remove the crane. The unit was winched onto its wheels before being loaded onto transport. Click here to see a short video of the recovery
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The crane is winched back onto its wheels