One dead as lorry blown on to pedestrians in Leeds centre: Carnage on A1

A PEDESTRIAN was killed and another injured when a lorry overturned and toppled on to them in high winds in the centre of Leeds this afternoon.

West Yorkshire Police said a curtain-sided lorry overturned on Neville Street, opposite the Bridgewater Place skyscraper and near the headquarters of the supermarket Asda.

Two people were pulled from underneath the vehicle by passers by. A spokesman confirmed a male pedestrian injured in the incident died from his injuries in hospital.

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He said: “Following the earlier road traffic collision on Neville Street, Leeds city centre, a male pedestrian injured in the incident has now died at hospital.

“A female pedestrian is currently being treated for her injuries at hospital.”

Fire Brigade officials were at the scene and police closed nearby Water Lane to traffic, creating lengthy tailbacks around the city. Neville Street was also closed between Sovereign Street and Great Wilson Street, and a diversion put in place. The road was set to remain closed into the evening.

Police also said a person had been seriously injured in a separate accident on the A1 near Pontefract when a lorry blew over and four cars collided with each other at about 2pm.

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The cause of the fatal accident was not known at this stage and all the circumstances leading up to the crash would be examined, including weather conditions.

High winds have battered Yorkshire for much of the day, causing some minor structural damage to buildings and problems on the roads.

In North Yorkshire, police are asking drivers to slow down and take extra care, especially drivers of high-sided vehicles.

There have been a number of weather-related incidents including a Mercedes sprinter van blowing over on the northbound carriageway of the A1 just before 2pm, two miles south of Dishforth. The two occupants were uninjured.

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A HGV was also blown over on the southbound carriageway just south of the Boroughbridge junction, police said.

In other incidents, a tree was blown over onto a train at Knaresborough station, two passengers were taken to hospital by ambulance with minor injuries.

At 12pm a large tree was blown down in Ripon damaging parked vehicles.

Metal, plastic and other debris were reported on the A1 near Dishforth and a van also lost part of its roof on the A1.

A fence was blown over in the village of Drax near Selby allowing sheep to escape from a field.