Driver charged after HGV hits rail bridge

A man has been charged by police after a Tesco lorry toppled onto its side after crashing into a Perth railway overbridge at the weekend.

The incident on Dunkeld Road on Saturday evening saw the supermarket HGV strike the train crossing near the BP garage and flip over.

Police, fire and ambulance services were called to the scene just before 8pm and the driver was taken to hospital as a precaution.

The road was closed by police for eight hours that evening to allow engineers to assess the damage and time to remove the clobbered vehicle and clear the carriageway.

The bridge was deemed safe to reopen for commuters but motorists were advised to avoid the Dunkeld Road area and use alternative routes through residential areas.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Police in Tayside were called to the A912 Dunkeld Road, near the junction with Auld Bond Road, in Perth around 7.50pm on Saturday, following a report a large goods vehicle had crashed into a railway bridge.

“The ambulance and fire services also attended and the driver was taken to hospital as a precaution.

“The road was closed for eight hours to allow for assessment of the bridge and vehicle recovery.

“The 53-year-old male driver was charged in connection with this and a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.”

A Network Rail spokesperson said:“Our engineers were quickly on-site to inspect the structure for damage and reopen the railway for our customers.”

The 4.5 metre high bridge was struck by a tractor towing a crane just six months ago, in what is one of the region’s most heavily trafficked roads.