Watch the terrifying moment lorry crashes through safety barrier and falls off M6 Thelwall Viaduct

Horrifying dashcam footage shows the moment a huge lorry crashes through safety barriers on the Thelwall Viaduct before toppling 30ft onto the ground below.

Plumes of smoke were seen rising from the crash site on Monday night after the HGV smashed into the embankment below, causing the M6 to be brought to a standstill. In new footage released today, the vehicle is seen breaking through the Thelwall Viaduct's safety barriers, before plummeting 30ft onto the embankment below the motorway bridge.

Another clip shows emergency service crews attempting to tow the damaged vehicle away. Footage shows the front of the van by the driver's seat flattened by the collision, while the rest of the vehicle is seen smashed to pieces. Police and fire crews rushed to the scene shortly after the crash, which sparked multiple closures along the M6 and standstill traffic lasting several hours.

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The driver of the lorry is understood to have been rescued and rushed to hospital with injuries that are not thought to be life-threatening. Around 1,000 litres of biodiesel also spilt from the fuel tanks being carried by the vehicle during the collision.

The Thelwall Viaduct, in Warrington, carries the M6 motorway across the Manchester Ship Canal and the River Mersey. National Highways warned drivers to expect delays well into the morning as they launched a "complex repair operation" to fix the bridge's barriers.

Three lanes were closed on the northbound carriageway due to serious damage caused to the barrier, while another lane was left open with a reduced speed limit. Cheshire Police warned drivers that the lane closures would be in place "for some time."

On Monday night, the force said in a statement: "Shortly after 6.50pm on Monday 30 September, police were called to reports of an incident on the M6 northbound at Thelwall Viaduct, between junction 20 and 21. "Officers attended the scene and found a lorry had come off the carriageway and landed on the embankment below the bridge. The driver of the lorry is not believed to have suffered any life-threatening injuries.

"Three lanes remain closed on the northbound carriageway due to serious damage caused to the barrier. One lane will remain open with a reduced speed limit. These lane closures will remain in place for some time, and are expected to continue into the morning. Motorists are advised to avoid the area and find an alternative route during this time."