Paraglider films lorry fire on M1 in Leicestershire

A paramotor pilot captured aerial footage of a plume of smoke erupting from a lorry blaze which shut a motorway.

Dennis Morris, 57, was flying 900ft (274m) over the M1 on Friday on his way to Market Harborough in Leicestershire when he saw the black smoke rising into the air.

The northbound carriageway was shut between junctions 21 and 21A for much of the day while crews dealt with the blaze.

Mr Morris, who recorded the footage on a GoPro attached to his head, said: "It's quite a shocking thing to see. I was just praying the lorry driver had got out."

The lorry driver who managed to escape from the vehicle unhurt said he felt "very lucky".

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11 October 2021