A LORRY driver has been branded “crazy” by colleagues after footage showed an HGV pull out of a dual carriageway layby and into the path of a car.
Only Rebecca McCallum’s quick reflexes avoided disaster as she swerved out of the way at the last moment.
The heart-stopping incident happened on the A127 near West Horndon, Essex.
Rebecca, 27, was left in tears after the near miss. Her husband, Charlie, 28, uploaded the footage to social media with the caption: “Happened to my wife today on the A127 eastbound. Unfortunately I can’t work out the reg of the lorry.”
The clip shows Rebecca approaching a layby. When her car is just a few metres away, an HGV starts to signals and pulls out in front of her.
Rebecca’s car comes within a few feet of crashing into the cab of the lorry as she brakes and swerves into the right hand lane.
A woman driving with her children in a car behind also responded quickly, giving Rebecca enough space in the right hand lane to move over.
One viewer wrote: “I’m a truck driver that lorry driver was a f***** p***k. It was the skill of the lady in the car that avoided an accident.”
Another added: “As a Lorry driver myself I know it can be very frustrating trying to get out of a lay-by when no one will move over (when there is room to do so) or slow down a little for you.
“But that was crazy dangerous and could’ve ended very badly. Totally the fault of the lorry.”
One said: “Well done on your wife’s reaction. What a c***.”
Another user wrote: “Wow that could have been a big one, what a t**.”
Speaking today, Charlie said: “I was furious as it could have ended in a serious accident. My wife rung me up crying on the phone as she was scared.
“Luckily the lady in the right hand land of her ( who had kids in the car ) slowed down enough to enable her to swerve out of the way.”
Charlie said he had reported the incident to the police and had been asked to send the video.
Essex Police declined to comment. saying they could not find any report of the incident on their system.
