Parents have been asked to make their children more street aware after an incident in which a quick-reacting bin lorry driver averted a tragedy.
Boston Borough Council bin lorry driver Jamie Williamson had his heart in his mouth when a girl on a bicycle and a small boy running alongside left the footpath and appeared in the road in front of his truck.
Jamie reacted instantly, stood on the brakes and came to a halt, inches short of running over them.
“It shocked us all,” he said. “It was a very frightening moment for all of us, the children included and bystanders who witnessed it.”
The lorry had a full crew on board and was turning off John Adams Way into High Street when the children, probably on their way to school, found themselves in the path of the vehicle.
A witness said the driver did very well to stop in time.
Christian Allen, head of environmental operations at the borough council, said: “A full-loaded bin lorry is not a Mini. It cannot stop on a sixpence. It weighs 20 tonnes. An incident such as this put the children at risk, the bin lorry crew and other road users. On this occasion Jamie used all his experience and training to avert a disaster.”
Christian congratulates bin lorry driver Jamie on his lightning-quick reactions, which saved the lives of two children.