Drives forced on to wrong side of road by broken-down lorry in Barnsley

The broken-down lorry. Picture: Ross Parry Agency

DRIVERS had to dodge a lorry that had broken down on a South Yorkshire roundabout, by driving on the wrong side of a busy road.

The 40ft-long articulated HGV blocked the entrance to Cortonwood roundabout near Barnsley, causing chaos for drivers who manoeuvred across a central reservation to avoid queuing behind it.

Motorists dodged the lorry by braving dangerous amounts of traffic on the adjacent dual carriageway on Thursday.

Fellow lorry driver, David Elliott, 38, who drove past the incident, described the situation as “a nightmare”.

He said: “The lorry just came to a halt. I bet he felt like a right wally.

“All the shoppers were coming out near the retail park - it was such a bad place to break down.

“For traffic to get past, we had to drive through the central reservation and then steer around it onto the roundabout.

“As a lorry driver myself - that is a very awkward place to break down.”

Local bus routes were also diverted to avoid the area as traffic built up throughout the afternoon.