Lorry Collision Severely Damages Residential Property and Pub

A collision involving a lorry, which resulted in injuries to its driver, rendered a recently sold pub resembling a “pile of rubble,” according to its landlord. This incident, occurring around 05:30 GMT close to Shrewsbury, also caused significant damage to an adjacent residence and necessitated the closure of the primary A49 route until shortly after 16:00. Emergency services personnel spent an hour extricating the lorry driver, who was subsequently transported to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. The vehicle initially struck the house, inhabited by a family operating the adjacent Hong Kong City takeaway, before proceeding to collide with the Three Fishes pub. No other individuals are reported to have sustained injuries. James Duerden, the landlord, stated that the pub was on the verge of being transferred to its new proprietors. “It was a great local pub, part of a community, and now we’re left with just a pile of rubble,” he remarked. He clarified that he did not reside at the pub and received a call at 05:30, subsequently arriving to witness what he characterized as “total devastation.” “I wasn’t expecting what I saw when there was a fully-loaded articulated vehicle in the back of the pub,” he commented. He further noted that “a good quarter of the pub” was destroyed, including an upstairs bedroom, and all his inventory was lost due to the power outage. He additionally stated, “I’m really thankful there was no one in the building at the time.” Mr. Duerden, who had finalized the building’s sale, expressed, “I was really looking forward to finishing the last week of trading and giving the pub a really good send off.” He mentioned that he is currently in discussions with his insurers, yet he was “truly thankful” for the numerous messages of support he had been sent. Mr. Duerden, having resided in the village for 38 years since his childhood, conveyed that he was “absolutely devastated” by the incident. He concluded by saying, “For the foreseeable future the business will be closed, I’m not sure where we go from here.” The proprietors of the Hong Kong City takeaway, which sustained no damage, declined to comment, though Mr. Duerden affirmed their establishment’s significance to the local community. For further updates, BBC Shropshire can be followed on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X, and Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.