Horrific moment bin lorry smashes into cars and house killing driver, 29

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Witnesses have described the horrific moment a bin lorry smashed into a house, killing the driver and leaving an 11-year-old fighting for his life.

Several people were left injured after the rubbish truck smashed into parked cars before crashing into a house in Kidbrooke, south east London just after 8am yesterday morning.

The child, 11, was rushed to hospital in a life-threatening condition, the 29-year-old driver was declared dead at the scene and a further two men were taken to hospital.

The boy was on the school run with his father when the green truck ploughed into them, reports MailOnline.

The owner of the house, a 55-year-old barber called Niko, told the Mirror he was asleep when the lorry hit the home he has lived in for 33 years.

He said: ‘There was just dust and bricks everywhere. I just thought how the hell has a lorry ended up in my house?

‘I’m in shock – I feel numb. I was in my bedroom directly above it. My first thought was to get out the house with my two sons. 

‘I feel very lucky to be alive but of course also very unlucky – and it’s tragic that somebody has died.’

Shocking footage shows the moment the lorry crashed into the cars after home security cameras captured what happened.

‘I heard the driver had a heart attack at the wheel. I think the child that was injured was in a car with his dad possibly. I really hope he’s ok,’ Niko continued.

‘At the end of the day this is just a house – it’s bricks and mortar.’

He added his son was ‘seconds away’ from being killed as he made his way down the stairs to make a cup of tea while his wife was at work.

A local resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said the scene was ‘utterly tragic’ after the lorry crashed just 30 metres from his home.

‘About 8am when I was preparing school run for my kids, all (of a) sudden police, ambulance siren, helicopter sound went on,’ he said. 

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‘Bit emotional myself right now after hearing an 11-year-old is in a serious condition. It’s utterly tragic – my thoughts are with their loved ones.’

Officers from the Metropolitan Police are investigating the possibility the lorry driver may have suffered a medical episode while behind the wheel.

One woman, who asked not to be named, said: ‘I woke up and just heard a loud bang – it sounded like an earthquake.’ 

A 35-year-old builder would have been inside his leased grey Peugeot Partner van setting off for work had the crash happened 10 minutes later.

His vehicle had been parked outside his home when the lorry smashed into it and caused it to drag a grey Volkswagen Passat into a neighbouring wall.

‘I was just getting ready to go to work when I heard this huge smash. I looked out and my van was destroyed,’ he said.

‘It’s only a piece of metal – just a van which is replaceable. But another 10 minutes and I would have been dead had I been inside it.’ 

Shocking pictures and video footage show the bin lorry across a home’s driveway, while cars were left with crumpled bonnets and pieces sprawled across the road.

The London Fire Brigade said the crash led to structural damage at the house in Woolacombe Road.

Firefighter Nathan Hobson said: ‘It was a challenging incident and it appears that a lorry collided with two cars and crashed into a house.

‘Specialist urban search and rescue crews attended the scene and efforts were made to free the lorry driver but, sadly, he was pronounced dead at the scene.’

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