The first image of the courageous trucker who took evasive action to prevent colliding with a group of cyclists, leading to the destruction of nearly £2 million worth of supercars, has been released.
Richard Kilburn, 61, was behind the wheel of an HGC transporter carrying nine high-end vehicles when it began to sway uncontrollably while descending a steep hill in crosswinds.
As the truck gained speed, heading towards the cyclists, Richard swerved sharply and jack-knifed the truck, successfully avoiding a potentially fatal crash but causing extensive damage to the cargo.
Among the wrecked vehicles were a red £271,000 Lamborghini Aventador, a £181,000 Aston Martin DB11, as well as two Ferraris, a BMW, and a £170,000 Mercedes AMG.
Richard, a seasoned trucker of 12 years, was transporting the cars from Brands Hatch in Kent to Goodwood in neighboring Sussex for an event when the incident occurred on Wednesday evening.
Footage from the scene depicted the overturned transporter with severely damaged cars strewn across the A20 at Farningham.
Richard, who works for Everyman Racing Driving Experiences, stated to the press: ‘I had just left Brands Hatch and was heading to Goodwood when it all happened. It’s a hill and because of the weight, the transporter picks up a bit of speed, so I just touch the brakes and try to keep it around 35mph as I go down.’
‘But it began to sway and veer, and that’s when I saw the cyclists and thought I need to stop now and just jack-knifed.’
Richard, hailing from Essex, added: ‘Obviously because of the maneuver, all the cars came off, but thankfully no one was hurt, and it could have been a lot worse.’
‘It was more than 40 tons in weight, so it would have caused a lot of damage, but the only person hurt was myself with some slight bruising. I’m okay and already back at work.’
‘The whole thing looks worse than it is because of the value of the cars involved, and it did cross my mind what the boss would say, but the insurance will cover it.’
‘The most important thing is that no one was hurt.’
An insider at Everyman, the Leicestershire-based car owner and provider of driving experiences, told local reporters: ‘Richard is undoubtedly the hero in all of this.’
‘With years of experience behind the wheel, his quick thinking averted a potential tragedy. These things happen, but the most crucial thing is that no one suffered severe harm – the cars can be replaced, unlike human lives.’
Police attended the scene on Wednesday evening. Richard tested negative for alcohol and was treated for minor injuries but remained otherwise unharmed.
The source continued: ‘Richard has been with the firm for three years, and he’s held a license for 12 years. He’s very reliable and knows what he’s doing behind the wheel.’
‘When driving these transporters in crosswinds, they can sway due to their weight, and that’s what happened to him.’
‘He reached a point where the tipping point was reached, and the truck overturned to avoid the cyclists in front.’
‘Had he miscalculated, he might have ended up harming the cyclists instead of just damaging a few cars, which will now have to be written off.’
‘Insurance teams are assessing the situation, but it will likely cost over a million to replace them, probably more.’
A witness named Matt Westy wrote on the company’s Facebook page: ‘I believe your driver was very fortunate after talking to him at the scene. It could have been much worse.’
Kent Police stated: ‘Kent Police were alerted at 7.57pm on Wednesday, August 23, to an overturned car transporter on the A20 at Farningham.’
‘Officers attended the scene where the driver reported minor injuries. The road was closed while vehicle recovery was arranged.’
In a statement, the owners added: ‘Just another day in the life of Everyman Racing. We might need to clean off the dust from the T-cut though.’
