A motorhome owner was left “in bits” after inadvertently getting the vehicle stuck down a narrow road in Padstow, Cornwall.
Shocked onlookers said they believed it was as a result of a “sat nav blunder” with the motorhome being too big to fit down the road.
The vehicle became trapped on Mill Road near South Quay in the afternoon of Monday, September 25.
Photos of the incident see the motorhome wedged between buildings on a very narrow stretch of road.
The driver was eventually able to reverse out of the narrow road
BPM MEDIA
Similar incidents are usually seen in June, July and October as holidaymakers make use of the nice weather and drive to the coast.
However, Cornwall’s roads are set to get quieter in the coming weeks, with this potentially being the final motorhome incident of the year.
A local man said he had witnessed the motorhome drive down the road and get trapped, calling it “astonishing”.
The delivery driver said: “Late this afternoon a German tourist got his hired motorhome stuck in Mill Road, one of the narrow lanes in Padstow.
"Quite how he got as far as he did is astonishing, why he kept going is a mystery. This is a classic 'user error' sat nav blunder.
“The poor chap and his missus were in bits, it was impossible not to feel sorry for them, however, they will most certainly remember this visit to Cornwall for a very long time,” he told Cornwall Live.
The motorhome was eventually able to escape after being trapped, although the vehicle was damaged in the process.
The delivery driver continued, saying that the vehicle was able to reverse up to the top of the lane.
He called the escape “incredible” and said the motorhome then attempted to drive down to the Golden Lion pub.
The local resident added: “By this time the chap had burnt out the clutch, you could smell it from yards away. Oh dear.”
Law changes were introduced in 2021 which allowed drivers to tow a trailer or caravan up to 3,500kg without taking additional training or a test.
This led to a number of drivers having more confidence to drive a motorhome and tow a caravan, prompting experts to issue warnings.
The road where the motorhome got trapped in Padstow, Cornwall
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Road safety organisations urged motorists to ensure they were confident behind the wheel of such large vehicles and potentially take extra training sessions if they were planning to do this more often.
