Last updated at 15:14, Wednesday, 30 March 2011

A runaway lorry caused mayhem in a Cumbrian town colliding with seven vehicles before smashing into an estate agents window.

The crash scene in Alston

• Video: The crash scene in Alston

The Co-operative lorry was parked outside Alston’s Market Place Co-op store at around 7am today when police say it rolled down the hill.

It hit five parked cars on its way down the town’s Front Street. Two cars with drivers inside were also caught up in the incident.

One woman in a car, said to be local, is being checked at the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle.

PC Tony Milroy said: “We don’t know whether the brake was left off or failed and it has rolled down the hill. A number of cars were hit by it, a woman was hurt the driver of one of the vehicles, we think she was hurt jumping out of the vehicle.”

A woman in flats above the damaged Pennine Way’s estate agency remained trapped in her home this morning with the lorry blocking her exit.

Other occupants in a second flat, who are believed to work at the nearby Robinwood Activity Centre, were able to leave their flat. All were unhurt.

Council structural engineers have assessed the building and have said they believe its main beams are still intact. The road was blocked to motorists for over an hour as cars and debris were cleared.

Residents gathered to look at the damage.

Brian Burton, 60, said: “I got here 10 minutes after it happened. This has happened before years ago when a wagon took out the Market Cross that was in winter.”

Other residents were filming the damage for a local documentary called views from the Market Cross.

Work is ongoing to recover the lorry.

First published at 12:05, Wednesday, 30 March 2011
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk