A quick thinking tanker driver prevented possible serious injury or death when he rolled his vehicle full of effluent onto the verge on the main Falmouth to Helston road this morning to avoid a more serious crash.

The driver suffered possible head and back injuries when he drove his vehicle off the road by Crane Garage, at Herniss, to avoid a collision after vehicle ahead stopped suddenly.

Falmouth Fire Station watch manager Martin Addinall said the driver had demonstrated “very good driving skills” in avoiding a crash, after a car in front stopped to let another car across at a junction, meaning another lorry and a car in front of the tanker were forced to stop suddenly.

He said: “Although the lorry was on its side, he potentially saved a life because he was caught out by somebody cutting across or letting out on a junction. If he’d carried on he would have caught the car between two lorries.”