A father and daughter escaped serious injury after their juggernaut crashed and caught fire near Winchester in the early hours of Monday.
The vehicle careered down an embankment after smashing through barriers at Junction 9 of the M3 at Winnall. For commuters, it brought traffic jams, especially on the M3 and A34, while police cleared the scene. Sub-officer Dave Graham, at Winchester fire station, said the lorry left the M3 on the southbound slipway at around 4.30am.
He added that instead of turning when it reached the roundabout, it ploughed straight on. The vehicle, carrying metal cages wrapped in cardboard, caught fire after the collision. The flames were extinguished by around 15 firefighters from Winchester and Eastleigh.
The truck's driver and his passenger, a father and daughter from Belgium, were rescued from the wreck and taken to the Royal Hampshire County Hospital and treated for cuts and bruises.
One lane of the roundabout was closed for nearly 10 hours. Police brought in a crane to lift the stricken vehicle.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article