A DRIVER who was injured in a lorry smash, may have fallen asleep at the wheel, said police.

Leyland man Charles Edward Ashworth, 34, of Bristol Avenue, suffered serious head and back injuries when he was thrown from the cab of his 7.5 ton Mercedes flat-back lorry when it careered into a wall.

The lorry rebounded into a lamp-post and hit another wall at 3.30am yesterday (Wednesday) in Whitegate Drive, Blackpool.

Firefighters say the force of the collision was so strong the lamp-post had been pushed some way along the road.

The route was closed for more than three hours following the accident. No other vehicle is believed to have been involved.

Mr Ashworth is said to be 'serious but stable' in Blackpool Victoria Hospital.

A police spokesman said: "It is believed the driver fell asleep at the wheel."

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