Bin man: I feared the lorry would set on fire after George Square crash

John Stewart, an inspector for First Bus Glasgow, gave evidence today at the hearing in Glasgow Sheriff Court about an incident on April 7, 2010.

Mr Stewart said Mr Clarke was approached by a passenger on a number nine bus to say the driver of the empty number 54 had collapsed at the wheel.

The inspector was concerned enough by Mr Clarke’s appearance to call an ambulance but Mr Clarke refused to travel to hospital.

Mr Clarke was given the all clear by the ambulance crew and accompanied by a new driver on the way back to the bus depot.

Mr Stewart says he'd be disciplined if he failed to accurately report an incident whereby a driver falls ill at the wheel.

Mr Stewart spoke on the second day of the inquiry as the hearing also heard from  a bin man in the  crashed lorry who told how he feared it would set on fire.

Giving evidence today, Henry Toal told he was “terrified” as the lorry veered out of control in George Square last December..

The bin man was travelling in the back on the lorry with colleague Matthew Telford after driver Harry Clarke lost consciousness and the vehicle veered out of control days before Christmas last year.

Today is the second day of the Fatal Accident Inquiry, held at Glasgow Sheriff Court, as it sets out to “establish the circumstances relating to the tragic deaths.”

Erin McQuade, 18, her grandparents Jack Sweeney, 68, and his 69-year-old wife Lorraine, all from Dumbarton, died when a bin lorry last control in Queen Street and George Square on December 22.

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.

Mr Toal said: “I was wondering what was going to happen, where we where going to end up.

“I was terrified.”

He said he left the lorry after the crash because he feared it might “go on fire”.

During questioning by Solicitor General, Lesley Thomson QC, on the second day of the inquiry, Mr Toal said: “The first thing I remember is Matt Telford saying “what are you doing Harry?”

“Then I felt the lorry going to the left.

“He [Mr Clarke] was slumped to the side. His left side.

“He didn’t look conscious.

“Matt hit him on the back trying to get his attention but there was no response.

“He said: “You are killing people Harry.”

Mr Toal told the inquiry: “The lorry went up a bit and hit a few people on the left.

“When we got to the Virgin Bank we hit more people.

“Then the lorry went throughout the lights and hit a taxi, then another taxi and into the hotel.”

Mr Toal said he couldn’t remember saying or doing anything during the crash.

Mr Toal suffered an injury to his eye during the crash.

Watch The George Square incident as it unfolded:

He returned to work in February following in incident and his route had been shortened and pedestrianised areas removed from it, he said.

Mr Toal was also asked about unopened bottles of Budweiser beer found on the lorry following the crash.

He said he did not know how they came to be there and denied being the one who brought them on to the lorry.

Lesley Thomson QC asked Henry Toal if Harry Clarke sounded his horn at a red Audi on Cowcaddens Road, at junction with North Hanover Street, before the crash.

He denied this.

Mr Toal said: “That is not the sort of thing that Harry would do.

“He is quiet and laid back.”

Mr Telford told yesterday how he punched an unconscious Mr Clarke in the back in a desperate attempt to wake him.

He said “You are killing people Harry!”

Mr Telford, 46, said he started to panic as the lorry mounted the pavement in Queen Street and collided with pedestrians.

He said he screamed and punched Mr Clarke in the back in a bid to rouse him after he fell unconscious.

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

Mr Telford became emotional as he described the moments the lorry ploughed into shoppers.

He said the lorry continued towards the Gallery of Modern Art and missed hitting the Duke of Wellington “by a couple of inches.”

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

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

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

He said it continued to George Square and hit a car and a taxi before crashing into the side of the hotel.

Asked if he continued to shout, he said “not all the way.”

He added: “I was just hoping that he would hit something and we would stop but we didn’t.”

Mr Toal said he could not reach the handbrake and that it “never crossed his mind” to engage it.

The families of all those killed are represented at the inquiry.

Mr Clarke and his two colleagues, passengers in the bin lorry, are also represented as well as Glasgow City Council, the DVLA and the doctors who treated Mr Clarke following the crash.

The inquiry was also shown distressing footage of the lorry colliding with pedestrians as it mounted the pavement.

The families of those killed left the court as the clip, which last just seconds, showed the trail of devastation left by the lorry.

The FAI will look at the mechanics of the bin lorry as well as the route it took through the city.

It will also look at Mr Clarke’s medical records, including any medical conditions, and his fitness to hold a licence.

Sheriff Principal Craig Scott had been due to conduct the inquiry but Sheriff John Beckett was appointed to replace him.

This happened after Sheriff Scott became aware that he was acquainted with one of the deceased and was known to the deceased’s family.

Sheriff Beckett opened the FAI with a minute’s silence for the victims.