THE driver of a lorry had a miraculous escape after his cab suddenly flipped forwards.

As he hung helplessly upside down, his lorry careered out of control down a hill, before crashing into a railway bridge.

The man, who has not been named, managed to crawl from the wreckage uninjured. No one else was injured in the accident.

The accident happened on Saturday at 7.30am in Yarm, Teesside, near the road bridge over the Tees.

Witness Bill Jobling said: "The lorry was pulling up at the traffic lights outside the Cleveland Bay when the cab on the wagon suddenly flipped, turned upside-down and the windscreen fell out.

"The lorry took off down the road with the cab hanging off the front, the driver had no control over it at all.

"It went for about 100 metres or so and struck the bridge. I think everyone was surprised it didn't go through the bridge.

"When the cab hit the bridge it smashed to smithereens and was flattened."

Mr Jobling said the driver had a lucky escape.

He added: "We thought he would be badly injured, but he just looked a bit shaken and had some bruises on his head and his arms.

"He should go and put a pound on the National Lottery because he's lucky to be alive."

Fire engines from Yarm, Thornaby and Coulby Newham were sent to the scene to clear wreckage from the road.