FIREFIGHTERS clawed their way into an upturned lorry to reach the trapped driver following a dramatic crash this morning in Keighley.

The fire crew ripped away the front windscreen of the skip wagon on Coney Lane so paramedics could climb in and treat the driver.

Once he was assessed the man was able to climb out through the open windscreen and was taken to Airedale Hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

The light-goods vehicle crashed on to its side after it hit the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway bridge over Coney Lane/Park Lane soon after 10am.

A police spokesman said it was believed the main lift at the rear of the lorry struck the parapet. The vehicle was travelling towards Keighley.

A section of Coney Lane/Park Lane has been closed where the lorry hit the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway bridge then turned over.

It is understood that Parkwood Street, and Park Lane from its junction with Parkwood Street, are open to traffic.

Crew commander Mick Dunwell, of Keighley Fire Station, said his crew were called to the scene of the accident at about 10.13am.

He said: “The LGV had hit the bridge and gone on to its side. There was one adult male, obviously the driver, who was trapped in the vehicle.

“The fire service, police and ambulance were there. We removed the front windscreen and once the man had been assessed by paramedics he was able to climb out himself.”

Mr Dunwell said there was no risk of fire from the vehicle. A specialist Fire and Rescue Service lorry rescue unit had been scrambled, but was not needed.

The Keighley Bus Company diverted its K5 and K10 buses both ways via Parkwood Street and Dalton Lane, and warned passengers to expect delays.

A West Yorkshire Ambulance spokesman said an ambulance and rapid response vehicle were sent to the scene, and transported one patient to Airedale Hospital with minor injuries.

The Keighley and Worth Valley Railway delayed one of its trains for part of the morning until the bridge was declared safe. Vintage bus rides from Keighley to other stations on the line were offered as an alternative.