Story By: Ernest Bio Bogore, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash

This is the shocking attempt to overtake a heavy goods vehicle by a reckless lorry driver who forces a motorist onto the grass verge to avoid a head-on smash.

The transport company has since issued a public apology after the jaw-dropping video was shared on social media, showing the overtaking lorry driver nearly hitting several vehicles.

The incident took place in the department of Loiret in the north-central French region of Centre-Val de Loire.

The footage shows the lorry driver attempting to overtake a heavy goods vehicle where the road markings advise road users to stay in lane just ahead of a series of islands.

While speeding along the wrong side of the road, an oncoming car driver is forced to steer onto the grass verge while the lorry driver mounts the central reservation.

The lorry finally manages to change lanes just as two other motorists take evasive action.

The transport company Valatrans, based in the Czech Republic, posted an apology on Facebook following messages of outrage over the video.

They posted: “Currently a video of our lorry in France is spreading on Facebook, we already know it. We apologise on behalf of our driver. We will review his behaviour. Have a nice day, everybody.”

Guillaume Martinez, a spokesperson for Info-radar Loiret who shared the video on Facebook, told Newsflash: “It’s an isolated incident involving one lorry driver, we should not stigmatise the whole profession.”

According to Info-radar Loiret, the local police are analysing the video.

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