Somerset lorry stuck at near 45-degree angle on Butleigh Drove

A somerset road repair lorry became stuck at a near 45-degree angle on Butleigh Drove near Walton after the ground gave way during planned highway works. The vehicle had been sent there to fix holes, and workers abandoned it once it became trapped.

Somerset council said the road, also known as Butleigh Moor Drove, is built on peat and has experienced significant movement and rutting. The lorry involved in the works is due to be recovered before the site is assessed to decide how to complete the repairs.

Butleigh Drove repairs

Contractors from Stabilised Pavements were working on the road when the lorry became stuck. Somerset council said the site was part of planned highway works near Walton, and the ground gave way while the repair work was under way.

The council’s statement points to a road surface that has been difficult to maintain before this incident. The peat base and the movement already recorded on the route help explain why the repair operation itself could run into trouble.

Richard Wilkins on January damage

Richard Wilkins, the council’s portfolio holder for transport and waste services, said contractors had been repairing damage caused by Storm Chandra in January and other weather events. He said: “As with other parts of the country, the recent cycle of wet and freezing conditions has led to a sudden deterioration in many roads.”

Wilkins’ remarks place the incident in the middle of a wider repair effort, not a routine patch job. The lorry was not moving through ordinary traffic; it was part of the work intended to restore the road after earlier damage.

Somerset council assessment

After the lorry became stuck, workers left it in place. Somerset council said, “A lorry involved in the works is due to be recovered,” and added, “The site will then be assessed to determine the most appropriate approach to complete the repairs.”

Lucy Trimmell, an opposition councillor in Somerset, said the council’s approach to road repairs was like “trying to darn a pair of fishnet tights” and described the road network as “rapidly deteriorating.” Her comments match the scale of the problem the council described: roads needing repair while conditions keep changing under them.