A DRIVER suffered serious spinal injuries after his bread van smashed through a wall and plunged 30ft down an embankment early today.

Gordon Ashton, 57, from Sanderson's Bakers, Pleckgate Road, Blackburn, was thrown through the windscreen as the vehicle tumbled down the slope off Preston New Road.

Ambulancemen said the van, which ended up in a field, may have rolled on top of Mr Ashton.

Passing motorists stopped to help paramedics carry Mr Ashton back up the steep embankment on a stretcher.

Police said no other vehicles were involved in the accident which took place at 5.50am opposite the Mire Ash Brow junction.

Mr Ashton, of Victoria Terrace, Mellor, who was delivering bread and confectionery to British Aerospace, was taken to Blackburn Royal Infirmary with "serious spinal injuries." His family were today anxiously waiting to discover the extent of the injuries.

A hospital spokeswoman could not comment on his condition as he was undergoing emergency treatment.

A Blackburn ambulance spokesman said: "The driver had been thrown from the vehicle, probably through the windscreen.

"Part of the van was on top of his body so it may have rolled on him. The passers-by who stopped to help were very useful to us.

"The embankment was very wet and it was tricky getting the stretcher up the steep slope."

Police, who said several people witnessed the incident, are investigating and anybody with information should contact them on 01254 51212.

Teatime traffic chaos hit part of the Ribble Valley yesterday after two articulated lorries were involved in a smash on the bend outside the Corporation Arms between Longridge and Ribchester.

Fire crews, paramedics and the police were at the scene for several hours freeing the drivers, swilling diesel off the road and separating the two crashed lorry cabs which blocked the road for two hours.

Several other lorries and school buses were caught up in the tailbacks and traffic was diverted onto the narrow top road above the two villages.

Mrs Stephanie Gornall who runs the Corporation Arms and lives just nearby said: "It was absolute chaos.

"The road was just completely blocked and the police were doing their best to get traffic diverted.

"But with the top road in use, there was so much heavy traffic and it is only a narrow country road, there were even jams up there."

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