Jalandhar: A potentially fatal accident was narrowly avoided in Phillaur early Sunday morning when a heavily loaded tractor-trailer broke through a highway railing and was left precariously suspended mid-air.
The incident occurred in the early hours, reportedly between 3:00 AM and 5:00 AM, when the driver is believed to have briefly dozed off while driving. Losing control, the vehicle rammed into the roadside barrier and partially toppled over the edge, leaving it dangling and posing a serious risk of a major mishap.
Fortunately, the driver escaped unharmed. Passersby quickly alerted local authorities, following which police teams rushed to the spot and began efforts to manage the situation.
The accident led to a significant traffic jam on the highway, with vehicles stranded for hours as rescue operations got underway. Authorities deployed three cranes to pull the truck back to safety, but the recovery process proved difficult due to the vehicle’s heavy load.
Crane operator Amrinder Singh, who was part of the rescue effort, confirmed that driver fatigue appeared to be the primary cause of the accident. He added that his team reached the site shortly after receiving information around 5:30 AM.
Another eyewitness, bus driver Gurjit Singh, also attributed the incident to the driver falling asleep, stating that the sudden mishap caused long queues of traffic in the area.
Police officials are continuing efforts to clear the congestion and safely remove the suspended vehicle. The incident has once again highlighted concerns over driver fatigue and road safety on busy highways.
