A wasp could have caused a rail tragedy

Trucker hit rail barrier

A LORRY driver ignored safety warnings and drove across a dangerous level crossing and crashed into the barrier as it was coming down.

James Saddington, aged 62, was fined at Northampton Magistrates' Court yesterday for driving offences arising from the collision on September 10 last year.

But he claimed in a letter to magistrates it only happened after he was stung twice by a wasp and failed to notice the warnings at Banbury Lane level crossing.

The crossing, between Rothersthorpe and Pattishall, was not in public use at the time because of work to build a bridge across the railway track to make it safer for motorists.

But Saddington, of Coalville, Leicestershire, was driving to the building site in his lorry at about 10am and did not stop his vehicle in time.

Joan Gandolfi, prosecuting for British Transport Police, said: "As the barrier was coming down he was driving forward despite the warning lights. He was then in collision with the barrier."

Network Rail had to send engineers out to the scene that day to fix the barrier and make it safe again at a cost of £1,000. Mr Saddington was not in court yesterday and pleaded guilty by letter to failing to comply with the red light signal at the level crossing and driving without due care and attention.

In a statement read out to the court, he said: "Just before I drove on, a wasp went down my shirt collar and stung me on my neck and back, which did probably affect my driving." He was fined £260 for the offences, given three points on his licence and ordered to pay costs of £35.

He will also have to pay £1020.81 compensation to Network Rail for the damage caused to the barrier. Pc Simon Cherrington, of the British Transport Police said after the case: "It is very dangerous to cross a railway at any point.

"Drivers must be very aware of any warning lights, signs and sirens. Even in this case, where the crossing was not in public use it is still dangerous.

"We have also had problems with people taking their bikes across the line. Everyone needs to be aware of the risks." A Network Rail spokesman said: "It is up to the users of level crossings to follow the clear instructions.

"We are not complacent about level crossing safety and have made a concerted effort to make changes where necessary to make them safer.

"We have reduced the number of level crossings by nearly 200 over the last two years."

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