Crew’s frantic bid to stop glasgow bin lorry crash

Desperate efforts were made to halt the Glasgow bin lorry as it careered out of control killing six people, it has been claimed.

Two workers inside the cab desperately tried to rouse stricken driver Harry Clarke, 57, after he appeared to collapse at the wheel last December.

The lorry veered out of control killing six people before it smashed into the Millennium Hotel on George Square.

Now reports have emerged Mr Clarke’s colleagues on board shouted at him that he was killing people and they tried to shake him.

But their efforts were hampered by a metal rail inside the cab, separating the driver and crew, which resulted in injuries to at least one of them.

Their attempts to get to Mr Clarke, who said he was unconscious throughout the crash, were further hampered by the vehicle’s lurching changes of direction.

And Sky News has reported there was an air-brake in the cab which slowly reduces speed, but neither of the two crew was trained in how drive the bin lorry and did not know how to use it.

This lack of emergency training for bin lorry crews was first highlighted by The Sunday Post in the aftermath of the tragedy, when sources reported staff were being given special training sessions on emergency procedures.

Erin McQuade, 18, and grandparents Lorraine Sweeney, 69, and Jack Sweeney, 68, all from Dumbarton, West Dunbartonshire, Gillian Ewing, 52, from Edinburgh, and Stephenie Tait, 29, and Jacqueline Morton, 51, both from Glasgow, died on December 22.

Mr Clarke has since spoken out to say he has no recollection of the crash and has been diagnosed with a heart condition.

“I just want all of the families of the injured and deceased to know I can’t remember anything,” he has said. “I wish I could but I was unconscious.”

Last week The Sunday Post published a photograph which showed Mr Clarke helpless at the wheel, backing his version of events.

According to accounts given to Sky News, the two crew members first realised something was wrong after they had stopped to make the penultimate pick-up of their round outside the Primark store in Queen Street.

As the vehicle set off again, it swerved and then proceeded on its fatal journey, about 400 metres towards George Square.

Following the incident, a blood sample is understood to have been taken from Mr Clarke who tested negative for drink-driving.

Examination of on-board monitoring equipment is said to show it travelled at just over 20mph for roughly 40 seconds as the tragedy unfolded.

A police report has been passed to the procurator fiscal. It will decide whether or not a Fatal Accident Inquiry will take place into the circumstances.

The GMB Union which represents the two crew members said it would welcome an inquiry which could help prevent future tragedies.

The Sunday Post contacted Glasgow City Council and Police Scotland but they said they were unable to comment.

The Sunday Post’s images of Mr Clarke helpless at the wheel of his refuse truck have been passed to Police Scotland.

Force top brass requested the images to help aid their understanding of what happened. The Sunday Post obtained the images the day the accident occurred but deliberately chose not print them until last week.

Their use was only given the go-ahead after careful editorial consideration.