FIREFIGHTERS battled for over an hour to free a man trapped under an eight-tonne steamroller at the weekend.
Ambulance staff could not release the victim and called firefighters to the scene of the accident in Tranent, East Lothian, on Sunday afternoon.
The man is believed to have been trapped under the steam roller by his legs.
Firefighters used specialist equipment to stabilise the roller, making it safe enough for a doctor to give them man emergency medical help.
He was released at about 5.15pm – about 90 minutes after the accident – and taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary suffering from a serious leg injury.
Fire crews stayed at the scene until shortly before 6pm to stabilise the machinery and make the area safe.
Recovery
Today the bright yellow JCB steamroller lay at the bottom of a five metre embankment in a field a next to the busy A1.
Two deep gouges were visible in the mud where the East Lothian council machine had come to a rest.
The bonnet sat wide open while a dark oil stain spread over the front roller.
Above the vehicle debris was strewn about. An empty cider can was visible amongst the rubbish.
At around 11.30am a truck arrived to winch the road roller up the embankment.
The first attempt was abandoned after managing to turn the vehicle round but could not get it up the slope.
Three quarters of an hour later a larger lorry from T&J Wallace arrived to recover the stricken roller.
After a further three attempts to move the vehicle up the slope, including one where the recovery lorry began tipping over, the roller was finally heaved back onto the road, bringing with it a mass of earth and vegetation.
Police said today three men had been charged with the attempted theft of a steamroller. Two of the men, aged 26 and 47, were due to appear today at Haddington Sheriff Court.
Police said a warrant had been issued for a 25-year-old man who is in hospital.
