Wind ‘may have blown Edinburgh man into bin lorry’s path’

A man is in a serious condition after being struck by a bin lorry.

The bin lorry sits by the side of the road which was closed by police after the accident. Picture: Julie Bull

It is feared the 63-year-old pedestrian may have lost balance in the high winds and fallen into the path of the private refuse truck.

Last night, he was in a serious condition at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

Onlookers reported seeing a man lying motionless on the ground in Gorgie Park Road, Edinburgh, after the collision with the Scotwaste lorry at 6am yesterday.

The north side of Gorgie Park Road, beside Aldi and McDonald’s, was partially closed by police before the lorry was uplifted at about 11:20am.

Stewart Melrose, chief executive of Bathgate-based Scotwaste, said the windy weather was among the possible causes of the accident.

“It’s one of the things we are thinking, although we don’t know,” he said. “It was so blustery.

“Our vehicle went through a green light and turned left. The person was either crossing, or got blown off the pavement or didn’t see. We just don’t know at this stage.

“All we can do is hope that it’s not as bad as first thought. Our thoughts are with [the victim] and his family. The driver is very shaken.”

Mr Melrose described the driver, who had been going to empty bins from McDonald’s, as “very experienced”.

He said: “He’s been doing this for a long time, and it’s the worst thing that’s happened to him. You can only imagine. The driver went straight home and police are going to be interviewing him. We haven’t got the lorry as the police have to do their own checks on the vehicle.”

A local businesswoman, who asked not to be named, said she saw the emergency services surrounding the victim shortly after 6am.

She said: “It was so windy, it would have been so easy just to blow someone off their feet into the direction of the lorry.”

She said the victim was lying near the left-hand kerb. “He wasn’t moving,” she said. “There were paramedics there, and guys from the bin lorry as well. They must have been the ones that called for the ambulance.”

Local councillor Gavin Corbett said: “I really hope the man who has been knocked down makes a full and speedy recovery. My thoughts are with him and any family or friends.