Yahoo News Stupid lorry driver risks lives with A30 U-turn at deadly Hayle bypass
An impatient lorry driver has been caught red-handed doing an illegal manoeuvre on the A30 at Hayle. The bypass is notorious for motorists doing risky U-turns to escape the traffic, which have tragically resulted in serious crashes and deaths.
We've reported in the past how long tailbacks in the area can lead to people taking it upon themselves to perform U-turns across both lanes despite traffic flowing in the other direction. Previous pictures taken from a bridge over the A30 show a number of cars risking it all with the dangerous manoeuvre.
While it tends to happen more during busy tourist times of year, when frustrated drivers get stuck at the pinch point, a local man, from Penzance, contacted CornwallLive about a lorry driver making the same dangerous move on Monday afternoon (April 29). Livid, he called it "absolutely unacceptable" saying the driver put lives at risk just to get somewhere quicker.
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"I posted the picture on Twitter too and I did have a message this morning saying other cars were doing it as well on Monday," he said. "But a lorry doing it is just. That's not on. "
"Some people think doing that's okay but tell that the family who lost the person last year in that area. It is just unacceptable. My family including my daughter and grandchildren all live in Hayle and it could have been them coming down there. It's just not on and it's as simple as that."
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A picture taken of the illegal manoeuvre shows the lorry hanging out in full view blocking both lanes at the Hayle bypass. Last summer a woman in her 30s died after a crash in the Loggans area.
In 2021 one motorist spotted "at least five" driver make the same U-turn. In September 2020 two drivers were severely injured on the A30 near Hayle after one of them attempted a U-turn.
That crash caused the road to be closed for three hours and even required a call-out for the Cornwall Air Ambulance. At the time, a Devon and Cornwall Police spokesperson confirmed the crash happened because of the U-turn and reminded people of the dangers, saying: "We would also like to take the opportunity to remind all road users that the ‘No U turn’ signs have been placed on the carriageway for serious safety reasons.
"It is a very dangerous manoeuvre which has caused a number of fatalities over the years." It’s been going on for years - with video footage in July 2018 of an Asda delivery driver doing another U-turn on the A30.
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The driver performed the U-turn near a sign which was installed along with others to remind drivers that the manoeuvres are prohibited, as a result of a previous fatal crash in the area. On another occasion a driver counted around 20 vehicles doing the same thing, including a BT Openreach van.
