Bin lorry passenger tells how out of control vehicle hit pedestrians in George Square

Matthew Telford, 46, said he panicked as the lorry mounted the pavement in Queen Street, in Glasgow City Centre, and collided with shoppers.

Six people, including three members of the same family, were killed.

Mr Telford told a Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) that he “screamed” and punched driver Harry Clarke on the back in a bid to rouse him after he became unconscious.

He said he noticed Mr Clark was “slumped” after the lorry began to “veer to the left” at the bottom end of Queen Street, near Argyle Street.

The bin man was travelling in the back of the lorry with colleague Henry Toal.

The three men had worked together on the city centre route, known as the “middle ground” for three months.

The inquiry, at Glasgow Sheriff Court, also heard that unopened bottles of beer were found in the lorry after the crash.

Pictures of the bottles, which appear to be Budweiser, were shown in court.

Mr Telford said he did not know they were there until police told him after the accident.

He said there was no drinking on the lorry and he does not drink at all.

Asked if alcohol was allowed on the lorry he said: “That would be misconduct. It is against council policy.”

Mr Telford became emotional as he described the moments the lorry ploughed into pedestrians and shoppers - six of whom were killed and 10 injured.

During questioning by Solicitor General Lesley Thomson QC, who is leading the Crown case, Mr Telford said: “Near Tam Shepherds joke shop, the bin lorry slightly veered to the left.

“I turned to Mr Clarke and said: “What are you doing Harry?”

“His head slumped to the left.”

Mr Telford said he gave no response.

He added: “For a brief moment I thought he might have been carrying on. It didn’t seem right to me.

“Then I said: “Harry, what are you doing?” Then his whole body slumped.”

He said it seemed like the seat belt was holding Mr Clarke in his place.

Mr Telford added: “Panic set in and I started screaming at him.

“I got up and stretched my seatbelt and started punching him on the back.”

He said that the lorry then hit the pavement and a large bin.

Mr Telford said: “When we hit the bin there were three women at the side of the bin and I thought the lorry had hit them.”

Getting emotional, he added: “I started saying: “You are killing people, Harry.””

Mr Telford added that the lorry continued towards the Gallery of Modern Art at Royal Exchange Square and missed hitting the Duke of Wellington statue “by a couple of inches.”

He said the lorry “hit more people” then collided with the wall of the Virgin Money building.

Mr Telford added: “The lorry seemed to scrape along the side of the wall and take out traffic lights at the junction at St Vincent Street.

“I think the lorry hit two people at the junction.”

He said the lorry continued to George Square and hit a car and a taxi before crashing into the side of the Millennium Hotel.

Earlier the inquiry was shown CCTV footage of the horrifying moment the lorry collided with pedestrians.

The green Glasgow City Council bin lorry can be seen mounting the pavement on Queen Street and ploughing into pedestrians. 

The green lorry continues up the street on the pavement leaving a trail of devastation in the clip which lasts just seconds. 

Members of the public are then seen running to the aid of those who have been struck.

The footage was played to gasps from the public gallery. 

The family members of those killed left the Fatal Accident Inquiry, being held at Glasgow Sheriff, before the CCTV footage was shown. 

Earlier, Sheriff John Beckett QC and Solicitor General Lesley Thomson QC (pictured below) joined relatives of the victims as they fell silent shortly before 10am today at Glasgow Sheriff Court.

The family of Erin McQuade and Lorraine and Jack Sweeney (pictured below) were among the relatives to arrive for the first day of evidence into the crash on December 22 last year.

Family members listened to an account of the bin lorry's journey from Queen Street to George Square, where it crashed into the side of a hotel.

Pedestrians attempted to flee the path of the vehicle and one couple threw a buggy containing their three-year-old granddaughter on to the road to avoid being struck.

It hit several pedestrians and others were injured by flying debris as it mounted the pavement outside the Gallery of Modern Art and struck a metal litter bin.

Evidence read to court said many members of the public reported seeing driver Harry Clarke "unconscious" and "slumped forward", his hands on the steering wheel.

There was nothing to suggest that the incident was a deliberate act and an examination of the truck found no defects that could have led to the incident, the inquiry heard.

The Crown Office ordered a fatal accident inquiry (FAI) into the crash after prosecutors ruled there was no evidence to warrant criminal proceedings.

The inquiry is being led by senior law officer Solicitor General Lesley Thomson and is expected to last about six weeks.

Before it began, Sheriff John Beckett offered his condolences to family members and asked everyone in court to stand and remember the victims.

He said: "I can only imagine the shock, pain and anguish which you have suffered following your sudden and terrible loss.

"I extend my sympathy also to all of those who were injured and traumatised."

Sheriff Beckett offered condolences to families and said: “I can only imagine the shock, pain and anguish you have suffered.”

Miss McQuade, 18, her grandparents Mr Sweeney, 68, and his 69-year-old wife , all from Dumbarton, died when a bin lorry lost control in Queen Street and George Square .

Stephenie Tait, 29, and Jacqueline Morton, 51, both from Glasgow and Gillian Ewing, 52, from Edinburgh, were also killed when the truck mounted the pavement before crashing into the side of the Millennium Hotel. Ten others were injured.

The court heard that all the victims died from "multiple injuries, the pattern of which was consistent with being struck by a large, heavy vehicle".

Watch The George Square incident as it unfolded:

The FAI continues.