A LORRY driver had a lucky escape on Monday morning after his artic crashed into a tree on a forest road near Marlborough.

The main A346 near Cadley in Savernake Forest was closed for ten hours as fire, police, Wiltshire Council and recovery vehicles worked to clear the road.

The driver managed to get out of his lorry, carrying sand, after the accident and was looked after by two military paramedics, who had been travelling behind the lorry, until an ambulance arrived.

A Wiltshire police spokesman said: “We were called just after 7.15am to a report that a lorry had hit a tree. The male driver got out of the cab himself and believed to have suffered a minor head injury.

“Road was closed at the A346 Marlborough end by Budgens and at the Burbage roundabout. Wiltshire Council was called to deal with a large oil leak and recovery was arranged.”

One of those caught up in the traffic chaos caused was Doug Pocock who works at Cadley Garage just a few hundred yards from the accident happened.

He said: “In the end I had to abandon my car in a layby and walk to the garage.

“The recovery went on for hours but all of the emergency services, Wiltshire Council and the recovery team did an excellent job.

“We were all just pleased that the driver seemed to have a lucky escape. I understand he was driving his dad’s lorry.”

Garage owner Jon Horsley said the road being closed cost him about £2,000 as most customers found it impossible to get him.

It is not known what caused the accident but the A346 at Cadley is about to undergo repairs starting on Tuesday until Friday and will be closed between 7pm and 6am. Both Mr Horsley and Mr Pocock said the work was long overdue and parts of the road had big pot holes. Mr Pocock said: “We have had lots of people coming in with damage to tyres and suspension.”