A Parcel Force crashed into the infamous low railway bridge on the A5 last night, ripping the roof off and scattering debris all over the road.
Police were called at around 8.20pm after reports came in about the bridge strike.
Informal road management was put in place to allow traffic to continue although initially queues did form.
Posting on the Market Bosworth Police Facebook page, officers said: “The big man in red was nearly delayed tonight when this well known delivery company lorry struck the bridge on the A5.
A5 railway bridge in Hinckley makes top ten list - no surprises what for
“Such is the case when we were about to clock off and then this job came in.
“We all know that Royal Mail and other delivery companies work closely with Santa to make sure presents get delivered on time.
“Fortunately, nobody was hurt in this incident. But needless to say - the driver of the wagon now has some new ‘glasses’ on his Christmas list so he can see the massive hi-vis signs with the height limit on, and some festive cheer on the way in the form of a prosecution for his driving.”
The bridge was last hit less than a month ago when road closures caused hours of traffic chaos.
This last strike brings this year’s total to 18. The bridge near Nutts Lane recently made the top 10 most hit railway bridges in the country during 2015/16 as reported by Railway Magazine and Network Rail have recorded 67 strikes against the bridge in the last eight years.
Network Rail recently ran an awareness campaign urging haulage companies and lorry drivers to ensure suitable routes are planned and vehicle dimensions are noted to prevent such strikes.
Each incident costs the taxpayer - because Network Rail has to reimburse train companies for any cancellations or delays - and the wider economy due to traffic jams. This as well as the personal hassle suffered by other road users
A Leicestershire Police spokesman said: “We were called at 8.20pm to a report of a lorry stuck under the bridge. It had gone through the gap and scraped the roof off which had fallen all over the road.
“There were no injuries sustained. There was some traffic disruption. Just after 9pm Network Rail were contacted and an engineer was sent to assess the structural stability of the bridge. This was concluded by around 9.40pm and the road was declared passable.”
