Lorry Sent To Fix Pothole Gets Swallowed By Same Pothole In Bizarre Case From Britain

In a bizarre case from the UK, a lorry got trapped in the same pothole it was sent to fix in rural Somerset. Contractors from Stabilised Pavements were working on Butleigh Moor Drove near Walton when the ground collapsed beneath their heavy truck. The lorry tilted to a severe 45-degree angle, forcing the crew to abandon the vehicle on the unstable peat surface, according to a report in The Times.

As per the council, the said road was constructed on peat and had experienced "significant movement and rutting". It added that work was ongoing to recover the stuck lorry. The site will then be assessed to determine the most appropriate approach to complete the repairs.

"The road is constructed on peat and has experienced significant movement and rutting. Issues of this nature can occasionally arise when carrying out works in these conditions," a spokesman for Somerset Council added.

Somerset Council is facing intense criticism over a surge in winter potholes across Walton, with opposition councillor Lucy Trimmell warning the network is "rapidly deteriorating". Trimmell slammed the authority's maintenance efforts as "trying to darn a pair of fishnet tights."

"As with other parts of the country, the recent cycle of wet and freezing conditions has led to a sudden deterioration in many roads," Councillor Richard Wilkins was quoted as saying by the publication.

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Road Defects

According to a report in The Telegraph, the number of motorists, passengers and pedestrians killed or injured in incidents caused by road defects reached 393 in 2024, up from 270 in 2020.

In February, a 32-tonne lorry became trapped in a sinkhole on Lamer Street in Dunbar, Scotland. The hole, caused by damage to a sea wall, required contractors to remove the stuck HGV.