SHOPPERS rushed to help two people trapped in their car after an articulated lorry struck the vehicle in St Albans city centre at lunchtime on Saturday. The foreign-registered lorry was making a left turn from Holywell Hill into High Street at around 12.3

SHOPPERS rushed to help two people trapped in their car after an articulated lorry struck the vehicle in St Albans city centre at lunchtime on Saturday.

The foreign-registered lorry was making a left turn from Holywell Hill into High Street at around 12.35pm when it collided with a blue Rover 200 waiting at the lights.

Long tailbacks built up in the already busy city centre while firefighters worked to free the couple in the car -- a 65-year-old woman and a 66-year-old man from Park Street.

Police closed Holywell Hill as far as Belmont Hill and Chequer Street up to Victoria Street while the accident was dealt with.

The couple were taken to Watford General Hospital with minor injuries and the roads were reopened by 2.15pm. The lorry only sustained minor damage and was able to be driven off.

Eyewitness Mike Wrottesley, aged 55, was leaving Starbucks in the High Street, when the accident happened.

He saw the lorry swing out across into the left lane of the road and collide with the side of the Rover.

Mr Wrottesley said: "The lorry had to make a wide turn to get round the corner. It was left-hand-drive and the cab was very big so I don't think the driver could see the other side of the road. It pushed the car across the road, squashing it and caving the side in. The people in it looked shocked. The lorry was only crawling round the corner."

He said the city centre was packed with people on market day and a crowd of people went to help while they waited for the emergency services to arrive.

He felt that the driver was hampered by being left-hand-drive which restricted his vision and added: "I'm just surprised something that big was allowed in the city centre.