Trucker’s crossing drama (From South Wales Guardian)

Trucker’s crossing drama

10:52am Wednesday 14th April 2010

• Print
• Email
• Share

A LORRY driver who drove across an Ammanford level crossing with a train approaching told police he never saw the flashing warning lights.

Timothy Jones’s flatbed truck collided with the crash barrier, ripping it off, Ammanford magistrates heard.

Jones, 41, of Trallwm Road, Llwyn-hendy, was fined £60 and ordered to pay £85 costs after admitting careless driving.

He was ordered to pay a £15 victims’ surcharge and had his licence endorsed with four penalty points.

Prosecutor Beth Thomas said the incident happened on September 9 after Jones turned left out of Shand’s Road.

“He said he didn’t see the flashing yellow and red lights at the crossing but halfway across he noticed the barrier coming down,” she added.

“Mr Jones stopped and gave his details to the train driver, also expressing disappointment with his standard of driving.”

Peter Davies, in mitigation, said Jones who had no previous convictions – had been distracted by nearby college students congregating around a burger van.

“He’s had problems in the past with them hitching a lift on the back of his slow-moving lorry,” he said.

“There’s no suggestion he was trying to beat the barrier.”

Chairman of the bench Esme Jones told Jones: “There were a lot of pedestrians about and there could have been a serious accident. You were also fortunate that the train was not going very fast.”

• Print
• Email
• Share