Blaze wrecks Swiffi trunker
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• Swift Transport of Northampton is investigating the cause of a blaze which destroyed a Volvo tractive unit and its general cargo trailer on the A66 north of Scotch Corner three weeks ago. The company believes that the fire could have been started by an electrical fault.
The incident began when the driver left the truck to walk to the nearest telephone box to summon help after a tyre blowout. A second Swift driver following about 20 minutes behind, stopped to try to help. As the first driver had left the rig with its hazard warning lights off, he got into the cab and turned them on. When the first driver returned the lorry was ablaze.
The unit had been carrying general cargo north from Swift's Wakefield depot on a normal Sunday afternoon trunk lag run. Firemen could do little to stop the fire and eyewitnesses reported that it spread from within with the trailer's curtainsides bursting into flame after darkening from inside.
The fire lasted for over an hour but nobody was injured.