Horrific horsebox accident. Warning to all those with lorries.

charlimouse

charlimouse

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On my way home for an event in my horsebox on Sunday. See report
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=378440

I had just driven round a roundabout and was on the slip road up to a dual carriageway ('A' road). This particular section of road has alot of camber to the right as you curve away after the roundabout. To find a lorry had lost it's load (the flatbed truck was fine, but the container mounted on it had fallen off and was lying on it's side in the road). I manage to squeeze past, and it wasn't until I looked in my mirror I saw the front of the container which had fallen off had 'horses' written on the front of it. I was unable to stop as I was by this point on the dual carriageway (some cars had stopped to help, but in the lorry with 2 horses on board I wouldn't have been able to break hard enough to stop.), with no hard shoulder. So I do not know if there were any horses in the container at the time, if there were I fear the worst for them.

So the warning. This lorry was old. It was essentially a flatbed lorry with a box stuck ontop with a very high centre of gravity. So please check your lorries, especially if they are not coachbuilt. Also those of you looking to buy lorries, make sure you really check the quality of the build, and the state of the metalwork before you buy.

I don't know the outcome of this incident, and it has been playing on my mind. I just really hope no horses were in the lorry at the time..........
 
:( How awful - I really hope there weren't any horses in there - but TBH if it were empty I can't see that it would have had the weight behind it to make it come off.

A good warning for people looking at buying lorries.

That is truly horrific :( :(
 
Ugh! The stuff nightmares are made of :( I only hope that the lack of H&H article or such like means there weren't any horses in it.

A friend of mine witnessed a trailer going over on the motorway and luckily was able to stop/block the traffic and catch the (amazingly uninjured) horse. I bet the owner couldn't believe her lucky to have a lorry driver who grew up on a stable yard, behind her that day!!
 
Sadly, some people will drive anything...because they just HAVE to have a horsebox..

How many times have we read on here someone asking "Can i get a lorry for 3k?"..

you get what you pay for i'm afraid.

Having said that, i go to sales in wales and you would not believe what ponies get off of over there!!
 
This just highlights how important it is to regularly maintain your vehicles. I work at a commercial vehicle repairers and we often hear of incidents such as this involving trucks. Poor conversions quite often have the body held on by just a few bolts. When carrying any load on a regular basis, regular checks are essential, bolts can and will just shear under strain. Unfortunately a lot of people think just getting an MOT once a year is enough.
 
How awful. Definately a reminder to get regular checks - my lorry is always fully checked and serviced twice yearly by a proper mechanic.
However just wanted to objet slightly to comment about about £3000 lorries - my old bedford cost me that and it was one of the sturdiest and safest things you have ever seen. And I have heard of much more expensive lorries that have been deathtraps. Its not what you pay its what you get - and ANY lorry should be fully safety checked whether £3k or £30k......
 
charlimouse said:
On my way home for an event in my horsebox on Sunday. See report
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=378440

I had just driven round a roundabout and was on the slip road up to a dual carriageway ('A' road). This particular section of road has alot of camber to the right as you curve away after the roundabout. To find a lorry had lost it's load (the flatbed truck was fine, but the container mounted on it had fallen off and was lying on it's side in the road). I manage to squeeze past, and it wasn't until I looked in my mirror I saw the front of the container which had fallen off had 'horses' written on the front of it. I was unable to stop as I was by this point on the dual carriageway (some cars had stopped to help, but in the lorry with 2 horses on board I wouldn't have been able to break hard enough to stop.), with no hard shoulder. So I do not know if there were any horses in the container at the time, if there were I fear the worst for them.

So the warning. This lorry was old. It was essentially a flatbed lorry with a box stuck ontop with a very high centre of gravity. So please check your lorries, especially if they are not coachbuilt. Also those of you looking to buy lorries, make sure you really check the quality of the build, and the state of the metalwork before you buy.

I don't know the outcome of this incident, and it has been playing on my mind. I just really hope no horses were in the lorry at the time..........
Click to expand...
maybe it was a horsebox body that someone was transporting home to fit onto another chassis?? and it wasnt properly secured hence falling of as the lorry went round the roundabout .....
 
perfect11s said:
maybe it was a horsebox body that someone was transporting home to fit onto another chassis?? and it wasnt properly secured hence falling of as the lorry went round the roundabout .....
Click to expand...

I would hope that was the case, but seeing as it was painted exactly the same colour as the cab I have a suspicion that was not he case :(.
 
Dont kid yourselves that this cant happen to a coachbuilt one either. They are mounted to the chassis in exactly the same way. A certain local cowboy sold one and the body slid through the cab!
 
Most lorry bodies are secured this way. We have just had a brand new livestock box fitted for our lorry and it's secured by bolts so probably down to poor maintenance not a bad conversion.
 
i've seen the type of conversion you explained.
usally a old drop side with the side boards taken of with a make shift horsebox mounted on top, justed bolted to the wooden floor.
dont get me wrong if there mounted right they are just as good as anything else.
if you have one get it checked by someone who no's what to look for.
 
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