Rubbish parking! Runaway 15-tonne bin lorry smashes into parked cars as its driver desperately chases it down street in Glasgow

  • A 15-tonne lorry rolled down a street in Port Dundas, Glasgow, and damaged a row of parked cars
  • The waste truck smashed five cars but nobody was injured in the lorry accident 
  • The lorry driver apologised and said he put the truck in park when confronted  

By Elmira Tanatarova For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

This is the moment a driverless 15-tonne bin lorry rolled down a city street and smashed into a row of parked cars.

The horrified driver tried to stop the truck as he chased it down Borron Street in Port Dundas, around one mile north of Glasgow's city centre.

Footage shows him frantically opening the door to try to climb inside and clinging on until he is thrown to the ground.

No one was hurt in the accident but five cars were damaged, including one which was written off. 

Footage of the incident, which took place on October 7, was taken from a nearby gym.

The lorry driver can be seen pulling up next to silver car and getting out to knock on a door for a food bin.

He suddenly realises the lorry is rolling backwards down the street and chases after it.

Another video filmed by a furious motorist shows the aftermath. 

It shows a damaged silver Mini and a dented black BMW, the latter pushed into a lamppost, its rear bumper smashed and the boot crumpled. 

The cars mirrors and doors are badly smashed by the lorry
The back bumper and lights are damaged because of the lorry

The lorry rolls down the street and smashes into a row of parked cars in Port Dundas, Glasgow. It damages five in total, writing one of them off

The refuse collector quickly realises the lorry is rolling back and tries to grip onto it

The refuse collector quickly realises the lorry is rolling back and tries to grip onto it

The cause of the accident is being investigated.  The driver insisted the handbrake was on and the vehicle had been put into park. 

In the same clip an outraged motorist, whose car was scraped by the lorry's open door confronted the driver on camera. 

The car owner, who spotted the aftermath from a nearby skate park, asked the refuse collector: 'Do you want to explain to us how you have managed to do that?

'How have you not left it in gear if you're on a hill with a f***ing bin lorry?'  

The refuse collector apologises to the angry motorists who confronted him and says the lorry was in park

The refuse collector apologises to the angry motorists who confronted him and says the lorry was in park

One black BMW is smashed into a lamppost as  the lorry obliterates its way down the street
The lorry rolls down the street and smashes through cars

One black BMW is smashed into a lamppost as  the lorry obliterates its way down the street 

'Did you put it in park?'

The lorry driver insisted the truck had been put into park and offered an apology.

He said: 'You have to put it in park to switch the back end on.

'I put the handbrake on, jumped out to knock on the door to ask for a bin, the lorry started going down so when I opened the door that's when it has pulled your car.

'I tried to jump in and I couldn't.' 

Less than pleased with the response, the man said: 'That's f***g ridiculous by the way - how long have you been doing this for?'

The lorry driver gets out to knock on a door and ask for food waste before he realises the lorry is rolling back
Despite attempts to stop the truck in its path, the driver falls down on the road after trying to hold onto the lorry

The lorry driver gets out to knock on a door and ask for food waste before he realises the lorry is rolling back. He tries to stop it but falls down in the street

The 33-year-old later said: 'I was skating in the skate park. I came out for a smoke break and saw the devastation.

'I saw the BMW was totally screwed. At first glance I thought it had been stolen or someone had been drink driving, but then it became apparent that it was bin lorry.

'The guy was still there trying to explain what had happened.

'You won't be able to stop a 15-tonne lorry so this guy was very lucky there was no-one walking down the street.'

He is going through his insurance company to have his car repaired.

The lorry, which was collecting food waste on a private round, is owned by The NWH Group, based in Dalkeith, Scotland.

A spokesperson for the group said: 'We can confirm one of our vehicles was involved in an incident in Glasgow on 7 October. No one was injured.

'We have a strict reporting and investigation process which has been instigated.

'We are working alongside the emergency services in their investigations and thank them for their assistance.' 

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