The broken lamp standard.
A man died when the lorry he was driving in Colne Road, Reedley on Sunday, collided with a lamp post and then overturned burying its front end into a tree and fencing. The driver Mr. Arthur Greenwood (29) married with one son aged 6 months of 66 Derby Street, Nelson was trapped inside the crushed cab. Burnley firemen using special apparatus raised the lorry to release him but Mr. Greenwood was found to be dead on arrival at hospital.
Emergency services from both Burnley and Nelson raced to the scene at 5.30 pm. They found that the electric lamp standard had snapped off about 10' from ground level and had then fractured a gas main in the soil near to the lamp standard base. Traffic was held up for a considerable period at the scene outside the main gate to Burnley RDC offices and the police warned people not to smoke because of the danger of an explosion from escaping gas.
The front axle and wheels of the lorry were torn away from the vehicle as a result of the impact. No other vehicle or persons were involved it is understood. It took two breakdown vehicles to drag the lorry back into the roadway. Bails of cotton waste were strewn about the roadway. The lorry is owned by John Watts (Cotton Waste), Burnley for whom Mr. Greenwood was employed as a driver.
Employees of the Electricity Board turned the supply off locally while Gas Board workmen stopped the leakage of gas. Firemen from Nelson remained at the scene until the gas was turned off.
A spokesman for the Burnley Fire Brigade said that because they had taken an emergency tender with them they were able to release the trapped man very quickly. The equipment used is the latest of its type he said, "By having this specialist gear available we were able to do this job very quickly. We have had this equipment for about 12 months and it has been used on many occasions. It proves its value every time it goes out."
An inquest on Mr. Greenwood was opened and adjourned for three weeks at Burnley yesterday. Dr. G. Behr said that the cause of death was multiple injuries.