Lorry driver hailed as hero after truck crushed in port accident

Paulius Povilauskas was waiting for his truck to be loaded on D Block at the Port of Felixstowe on Wednesday afternoon when he saw a container coming down on top of the cab of the lorry behind him.

Paulius Povilauskas who saved a man from being crushed at the Port of Felixstowe (Image: Paulius Povilauskas)

He jumped out of his cab and pressed the auto-stop button, pausing the container and sparing the driver any further injuries.

The driver's cab was crushed in the accident and fire crews had to cut him free from the wreckage. He was taken to hospital where he was treated for his injuries and has since been discharged.

Mr Povilauskas said: "I saw in the mirror that the container was dropping.

A lorry driver has been hailed a hero for coming to the rescue of a fellow haulier at the Port of Felixstowe (Image: Smiffs Heavy Recovery)

"Quickly I was out of my cab and I pushed the emergency button and called the emergency services to come quickly.

"I remember everything. It seemed really awfully. I didn’t think the driver would stay healthy.

"I'm just doing what everyone would do. Almost everyone would do that in that situation. I don't know what to say."

Mr Povilauskas, who has been a lorry driver for around eight years, said he was "a little bit" scared as it was the first time he had seen anything like this.

He added: "Thank God everything is okay. I'm happy.

"I want to wish the driver a speedy recovery and good luck. I am very happy that he stayed healthy."

Caron Craft, Mr Povilauskas' boss at transport firm Penta GB, said: "He most certainly is a hero.

"He saved this guy's life. I'm very proud that he acted like that. He said he did what any other person would have done and he would do it again.

"But I think that his actions were very heroic — to jump out of that cab when he knew what was happening, and to try and help that driver."