A LORRY driver has been spared jail after crashing into a motorway bridge, causing £1.5m damage and closing the road for days.

Alan Austen, from Darlington, was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

The heavy machinery he was transporting on the back of a lorry struck the M20 footbridge at about noon on August 27 last year.

The impact caused the bridge to collapse on to the London-bound carriageway at Ryarsh in Kent. No-one was killed but a motorcyclist aged 73 was left with three broken ribs after he came off his bike.

The court heard that Austen had ignored warnings from colleagues that the load on the lorry was too high before he set off.

The 64-year-old, of Jedburgh Drive, Darlington, began to shake as Judge Philip Statman handed down the 12-month suspended sentence that included 200 hours of unpaid work which he must complete within a year. Austen must also pay £500 in court costs and was banned from driving for three years. Judge Statman said the incident put the public at considerable risk of harm but miraculously no-one lost their lives.

The experienced lorry driver was tasked with transporting the heavy plant from one side of the M20 to the other for a short distance.

Peter Forbes, prosecuting, told the court that Austen had been warned by colleagues before he left the depot about the height of the machinery he was carrying. But he ignored the advice and said: “It’s fine”.

Mr Forbes said Austen was followed by colleague Paul Gordon, who saw “a puff of dust” fall from the top of the trailer as he passed underneath another bridge just before the crash.

This prompted Austen to pull over to the hard shoulder to check his tyres and the height of the load with a measuring stick.

But he then continued on his journey, driving at 21mph, until the top of the arm of the machinery struck the next bridge.

When questioned after the crash, Austen said: “I’ve fouled up.”

Judge Statman said: “You ignored the concerns of your colleagues. It was a matter of pride, bordering on arrogance.”

Mr Forbes said Austen maintained that he measured the height of the machinery at 16ft 2in (4.9m) but has since accepted this could not have been correct as the height of the bridge was 17ft (5.2m) at the point of impact.

Ian Bridge, defending, said Austen was ashamed at being involved in the crash towards the end of his “exemplary” career.

He said: “He didn’t know his load was too high. He just arrogantly assumed it would be fine. He is very sorry, very ashamed and very embarrassed.”

Austen initially denied the charges. After his guilty plea, a second charge of dangerous driving was left to lie on file.