A 71-year-old driver was rushed to hospital after his lorry crashed down a grass bank off the M11, near Saffron Walden, earlier this week.

The man, who is from Pershore, in Worcestershire, was taken to the Princess Alexandra Hospital, in Harlow, with minor injuries after smashing into the central reservation.

He had been travelling southbound on the motorway in the early hours of September 9.

Also on the road was Ralph Blackburn, who was heading to the airport with his family when they spotted the vehicle crumpled down the side of the road.

Mr Blackburn said: “On the way to Stansted with my family for a holiday at 4am and [we saw] a lorry had gone off the left of the carriageway of the M11 near Saffron Walden.

“It had smashed through the reservation and come to a stop half way down a grass bank about 30 metres on. It looked really bad.”

A spokesperson for the East of England Ambulance Service said the man was ‘walking wounded’ when the crew and ambulance officer arrived.

Essex Police were also called to the scene around 3.20am and found a Mazda had collided with debris left on the road.

Witnesses are asked to contact Stanway Roads Policing Unit on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555