THE A4361 High Street in Wroughton is closed after a vehicle came off a MoD low-loader lorry today.

Residents say it is a miracle no one was hurt when the vehicle rolled off the low-loader truck and was inches away from smashing into a row of terraced houses as it careered backwards down a hill.

Two front gardens have been demolished in the crash in Wroughton High Street and people living nearby, as well as pub-goers basking in the sunshine on the hottest day of the year, rushed to see what had happened after hearing the bang.

The aircraft-towing truck came to a rest after sending bricks flying across the road and the shocked driver continued up Church Hill on the A4361 towards Devizes to get the low-loader out of the way.

There was relief when people realised no one had been on the pavement at the time or inside the vehicle, which came off the truck yesterday just after 2.30pm.

Emma Turner, 46, was in her house when it came crashing into her front garden.

“I was in the bedroom at the time and I was aware of an engine labouring to get up the hill,” the textile artist and shepherd said.

“That’s a sound we hear a lot here because we do get some big lorries come up here.

“Then I heard a car horn being sounded and it kept sounding and I thought that was very strange, so I went to the window and looked out and I saw the truck in my front garden.

“I couldn’t quite believe what I was seeing.

"My main thought was ‘Has anyone been hurt?’ so I rushed downstairs to see because I didn’t know if anyone was in it and luckily there wasn’t.”

Emergency services scrambled to the scene and evacuated residents while a paramedic was on standby.

Officers also closed off High Street and Church Hill to divert traffic while they waited for electricity board SSE to get to the scene and secure an electricity pylon, which had also been knocked down and was considered a danger.

Emma, who has lived in High Street for 18 years with husband David Forster, 51, has been told the low-loader belongs to the Royal School of Artillery and had an aircraft towing truck on the back of it.

She added: “That broke free and it came down the hill and demolished several gardens plus an electricity pole and it has come to rest in my garden.

“It hasn’t hit my house, it is about 8inches away, which is good.

“I’m so impressed with how the emergency services have dealt with it. It’s such an extraordinary thing and they’ve just taken over the whole situation and been very matter of fact about it.”

Neighbour Jane Bristow, 54, who works as a breakfast club supervisor at the village infant school was also in her house at the time and her garden wall is among those damaged.

She rang the school to warn them pupils should avoid the road.

The mother-of-two said: “All I heard was the commotion and I looked out the window and saw bricks everywhere on the road. Immediately I got my phone and called police as it was my first instinct to call 999.

“It was very close to my neighbour’s bay window but didn’t go into it. It’s awful. If she had been in that front room it doesn’t bear thinking about.”

Simon Todd, crew manager from Stratton St Margaret fire station, said: “We’ve been called today to a vehicle involved in a collision with an electricity pole, resulting in an unstable pylon.

“We’ve made the area safe and closed the road for public safety and we will be liaising with police to come to a sound and safe conclusion.”