'A man has spoken of the moment he feared for his life as a lorry overturned in front of him and threatened to crush his car.

Retired civil servant Phil Heath, 70, said if it wasn't for his sharp braking he would have gone underneath the Leyland Daf lorry as it toppled while taking a corner in Downhall Road, Rayleigh.

Both Mr Heath and driver Timothy Vagg, 31, from Bury St Edmunds escaped the incident virtually unhurt, although Mr Heath said insurers had written off his red Ford Escort off.

He said: "If I hadn't stopped quickly, a taxi driver who was behind me said I would be dead by now.

"I was driving down to the bank from my house and I watched this lorry come round the corner and went over. The cab hit me - it was a shock, but it was a good job I saw it coming."

Last Thursday's incident left Downhall Road in Rayleigh near the Hungry Horse Traveller's Joy pub closed for some time as emergency services worked to clear the over turned lorry from the road.

The driver of the lorry was taken to Southend hospital after the incident but wasn't detained.

Mr Heath, of Sheridan Square, Rayleigh, continued: "I felt sorry for the young driver and he looked as white as a ghost. I don't know if it is the wind that took the lorry or what.

"I was going to visit a friend that day, and he called and said not to come round - otherwise I would have been round his home when this happened."

Now Mr Heath is waiting for his insurers to give him a new car, although for the time being he has been given a courtesy car to drive.

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