Trucker gets stuck under bridge on M9

Marcin Jaslikowski (30) stopped his artic immediately and rang police after hearing his load “scraping” the underside of the bridge, which carries part of the Lathallan Roundabout above the motorway near Polmont, Stirlingshire.

Officers were only able to free the vehicle after letting the air out of its tyres

Appearing at Falkirk Sheriff Court on Thursday, Jaslikowski had admitted the careless driving offence he committed on June 2 last year.

The court heard his prompt action prevented damage to a second bridge, which carries the other half of the roundabout, and meant damage to the first bridge was “purely cosmetic”.

Procurator fiscal depute Ruaridh Ferguson said: “The public was inconvenienced as the motorway had to be closed. The vehicle was removed as a result of some of the pressure from the tyres being released by the police, which was enough to allow the accused to reverse the lorry back under the same bridge.”

Still a truck driver, Jaslikowski, of Morvich Way, Inverness, had originally been charged with dangerous driving, but the Crown accepted his guilty plea to the lesser offence.

John Mulholland, defence solicitor, said: “It was a simple miscalculation. He wasn’t party to the loading of the trailer.”

Sheriff Linda Smith fined Jaslikowski £400 and ordered five penalty points to be endorsed on his licence.

She told him he had done the right thing by stopping and phoning police as soon as he heard the scraping.

She added: “But the motorway was closed for a period, and it’s ultimately your responsibility to check your lorry.”