Tank carrier crashes yards from nursery

The transporter was carrying the tank through Pembroke

The driver of an army tank transporter has been praised after he deliberately steered off a road to avoid a children's nursery when the vehicle experienced brake problems.

The 98-tonne vehicle was leading a convoy of tank carriers from a nearby army base when it veered off the road in Pembroke at 0930 BST on Monday.

The transporter was heading towards the nursery

The 38-tonne transporter, which was carrying a 60-tonne tank, came to a halt in a near-side tree-lined hedge bank.

Residents reported hearing the vehicle's horn as the transporter travelled towards Pembroke Community Education centre at the bottom of St Daniel's Hill in the town.

The driver and his assistant were injured but have since been released from hospital.

Simon Butler from Dyfed-Powys Police said: "The transporter driver acted heroically and in selfless manner to ensure the safety of the public."

The tank which was being carried was not affected by the accident but the transporter was damaged and will have to be repaired.

An army spokeswoman said a Challenger 2 tank belonging to The Kings Royal Hussars was being taken from the Castlemartin base in Pembrokeshire, to the regiment's base at Tidworth in Hampshire.

They had been on an exercise at the ranges in Castlemartin.

Recovery

Mid and West Wales Fire Brigade sent an appliance from Pembroke Dock and an emergency vechicle from Haverfordwest to the scene.

The army sent for a heavy rescue unit to recover the transporter.

The tank was driven back to the Castlemartin base before another transporter could be found to take it to Hampshire.

The King's Royal Hussars is a tank regiment formed nearly 10 years ago by the amalgamation of the Royal Hussars and the 14th/20th King's Hussars.