SCREAMING chickens were left strewn across a road after a poultry lorry toppled onto its side and smashed through a house wall and fence.

A family were woken in the early hours by a “massive bang” and the sounds of thousands of dying chickens – and the HGV was only stopped from hitting their house by a steel gate post.

James Simpson-Stern was in bed at his parent’s home on the A4133 Holt Fleet on the opposite side of the bridge to the pub, when the crash happened at around 4.30am today.

The property’s CCTV shows the lorry smash at speed into the wall and Mr Simpson-Stern believes the driver misjudged the turning after the bridge on the 40mph road.

The 23-year-old said he understands there were around 5,000 chickens in crates in the lorry’s trailer and estimates “around three quarters are dead” and described the scene as a “massacre”.

“We were in bed and heard this massive bang, then looked outside – the gate had gone and chickens were screaming and the lorry was on its side,” said Mr Simpson-Stern.

He said the driver appeared to be ok and was out of the lorry when the family got outside.

Inside the house at the time of the crash were Mr Simpson-Stern, his mum, stepdad and his stepdad’s parents.

Having watched the CCTV footage, and studied his own dramatic photos, he said his family were close to losing their home and possibly their lives.

“It looks like he didn’t realise there was a corner after the bridge on the right. He has turned and the trailer has sort of flipped over and taken out our fence. The trailer has toppled and wiped out the fence and gate post.”

He added that the police said the post was likely the “only thing” preventing the vehicle sliding into the house.

The lorry was removed soon after the crash by a recovery team but as of lunchtime the chickens and crates were still in the road, which is closed both ways.

Mr Simpson-Stern believes the cost to repair the damage to the property will be around £15,000.

In May 13-year-old Ryan Robins was apparently clipped by a car’s wing mirror as he walked towards Holt Fleet Bridge on the same stretch of road, leaving him with a hairline fracture to his skull.

He was airlifted to hospital in a critical condition.

READ MORE: Teenager is one lucky lad says dad after being struck by car and dramatic air ambulance rescue

A spokesman for West Midlands Ambulance Service said they received reports of an overturned lorry in Holt Heath at 4.57am and an ambulance went to the scene.

“On arrival we discovered one patient, a man, who was treated for injuries not believed to be serious before being taken to Worcester Royal Hospital for further assessment,” they said.

A spokesman for West Mercia Police said they received a call at 4.34am in relation to a single vehicle collision, in which a “lorry containing chickens was in collision with a wall”.

“Sadly, a number of chickens died as a result of the incident,” they added.

The A4133 Holt Fleet Road was closed both ways between the Ombersley roundabout and The Old Vicarage by the bridge over the River Severn due to the incident.

Worcestershire County Council have tweeted that the road is now back open following the closure.