Caravan couple’s lucky escape in lorry crash

It’s always been the standard advice if your towing vehicle or caravan breaks down: get out of your tow car and stay in a safe spot while waiting for help.

And a couple whose tourer broke down on Monday (22 October) were right to heed this advice – when a lorry smashed into their caravan while it was parked at the side of the road.

The couple, who were on the A27 between Emsworth and Chichester, saw their vehicle break down on the busy road at around 1245pm. They got out of their car and stayed on the hard shoulder while waiting for a breakdown service to arrive.

But minutes later, a lorry slammed into the side of the tourer, hurtling it into the middle of the road. Firefighters were called to the scene because of the risk of the caravan’s gas canisters exploding.

No-one was injured in the crash, but there were significant delays while the vehicles were cleared from the scene.

The incident highlighted the need for caravan owners to be aware of the dangers of staying in a tow car if it or the caravan breaks down.