Kidwelly train crash farmer 'incredibly stupid'

[Pacerpilot]

And that is an offence he could have been charged with. But you can't say "He should have been charged with murder because he could have killed someone if it was a class 142" as that didn't happen.

No one said that. I was merely stating that I think we may have come off a little worse if had not been a Class 175.

 

[CosherB]

I can confirm that he has been sent bills totalling approximately £165,000.
£81,991 for repairs to the train and £84,862 in respect of commercial losses from the train having to come out of service.

He is currently whining pitifully in the local media about how this is an outrageous bill and he was "unlucky".

My opinion? He should have been locked up for endangering the occupants of the train.

 

[anthony263]

I can confirm that he has been sent bills totalling approximately £165,000.
£81,991 for repairs to the train and £84,862 in respect of commercial losses from the train having to come out of service.

He is currently whining pitifully in the local media about how this is an outrageous bill and he was "unlucky".

My opinion? He should have been locked up for endangering the occupants of the train.

Glad to see he is being given the bill.

I cant see him getting any support from the local railway enthusiasts and I think the majority of the public, well apart from a few stupid idiots

 

[Nym]

So Daily Mail Readers will back him then...?

 

[AlterEgo]

I can confirm that he has been sent bills totalling approximately £165,000.
£81,991 for repairs to the train and £84,862 in respect of commercial losses from the train having to come out of service.

Any chance of a link??

 

[CosherB]

Any chance of a link??

There's no link I know of (you could try local newspaper or local radio websites). But the info is from an impeccable source.

edit - a couple of minutes Googling found this:

http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/Kidwelly-farmer-speaks-crash-hell/story-13861737-detail/story.html

 

[Phil6219]

It is nice to see that the comments posted on the link so far slate him for being an idiot for leaving his tractor/trailer over the railway and a tool for moaning about it afterwards.

Fiberglass may not be expensive but are spare 175 cab ends available or are these custom made? I know that a Voyager was out of service for quite a while last year after a particularly bad "train-person collision" as the panels in question needed manufacturing. That would bump up the cost quite a bit. Then yes there is also the issue of the cab electrics and controls may have been bumped out of place and damaged not to mention the couplings.

Does anyone remember the pictures of the 170 which hit a tractor a few years ago? in that one even the first pair of passenger doors were badly displaced so perhaps in this case there may be no visible damage yet damage does exist to other parts of the body or underfloor works which this "clear expert on rolling stock & champion tractor driver" would not be able to see.

I do have pictures of that incident, somewhere...

Phil

 

[AlterEgo]

There's no link I know of (you could try local newspaper or local radio websites). But the info is from an impeccable source.

edit - a couple of minutes Googling found this:

http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/Kidwelly-farmer-speaks-crash-hell/story-13861737-detail/story.html

What a prize prat.

His insurance will pay anyway. I'm afraid I have no sympathy.

 

[CosherB]

What a prize prat.

His insurance will pay anyway. I'm afraid I have no sympathy.

His insurance (if he has any) may well pay, but given the circumstances they'll probably go after him for the money after they've paid the 3rd parties.

 

[Old Timer]

...I know that a Voyager was out of service for quite a while last year after a particularly bad "train-person collision" as the panels in question needed manufacturing. .....

This is something I find difficult to understand with modern trains.

Hit someone witha class 86 at 100 mph and there only blood to wash off. Hit someone at that speed with a voyager or a lesser speed with any other of these modern units and they have to come out of service for all sorts of damage.

We were "sold" fibre glass cabs on BR on the basis that they were stronger than steel, and when the HST hit the Class 47 on a depot that point seemed to have been proven as the 47 came off worst.

I have only known one "bad" incident with a DMU when the idiot managed to tangle themselves up in the final drive, but other than that I have been to many DMU fatalities where the units just had a wash and off they went back into service.

Nowadays these unit seem to need a fitter to replace damaged equipment on site and then almost need a works overhaul to get them back into service again.

 

[BestWestern]

Perhaps he could be offered the choice of the bill or serving the prison sentence?!

Jesus... :roll: This man is not only a dangerous moron, but clearly incredibly arrogant with it. There was absolutely no 'luck', about it, he was personally, directly and solely responsible for a rail accident; that is about as serious as it gets. This isn't a parking prang, he caused a train crash. I'm irritated that he appears to be whining for public sympathy when he could have killed innocent people, and irritated that, having escaped prison, he is now moaning about paying the financial cost of his actions. Trains don't come cheap and Halfords don't tend to stock the parts, what sort of bill did he expect?! This unfortunately underlines the argument for simply removing farm and private crossings which see this sort of abuse, all too often attitudes like this are an accident waiting to happen.

I agree with Old Timer on his comments above, but in this case it was a tangle with a heavy agricultural trailer, so I'd expect some damage. I guess a torn fibreglass panel is probably an easier repair than twists and dents in integral metalwork.

 

[IanXC]

Perhaps he could be offered the choice of the bill or serving the prison sentence?!

I would imagine if he says he can't pay the bill it will be recovered via the courts, including a charging order on his property(/farm/livestock?!) if he's otherwise unable to pay.

I can't help thinking thats a better outcome than the taxpayer stumping up for him spending time in prison.

 

[merlodlliw]

So Daily Mail Readers will back him then...?

You have lost me with that quote on this occasion,what have Daily Mail readers got to do with this sad situation.


Bob

 

[BestWestern]

I would imagine if he says he can't pay the bill it will be recovered via the courts, including a charging order on his property(/farm/livestock?!) if he's otherwise unable to pay.

I can't help thinking thats a better outcome than the taxpayer stumping up for him spending time in prison.

I agree, I'd prefer he paid something back into what it has cost everybody else. But if that isn't an option, I'd prefer he went inside than nothing

 

[GearJammer]

I wish people would stop saying he should go to prison, some people are over dramatic, no one was killed, yes hes a first class bloody idiot but prison is ott, however i do agree with the fine (should have been more) and his licence should've gone out the window and the crossing took out of use, i note it also says hes doing community service.....

As for him moaning, i think he should keep his head down and get over it and consider himself lucky, rather than being unlucky..

 

[Oswyntail]

This is something I find difficult to understand with modern trains.

Hit someone witha class 86 at 100 mph and there only blood to wash off. Hit someone at that speed with a voyager or a lesser speed with any other of these modern units and they have to come out of service for all sorts of damage.
..

I presume this is something to do with "crumple zones" and developments in safety requirements. I also doubt anyone said fibreglass was stronger - more resilient, perhaps.

 

[CosherB]

I wish people would stop saying he should go to prison, some people are over dramatic, no one was killed, yes hes a first class bloody idiot but prison is ott, however i do agree with the fine (should have been more) and his licence should've gone out the window and the crossing took out of use, i note it also says hes doing community service.....

As for him moaning, i think he should keep his head down and get over it and consider himself lucky, rather than being unlucky..

A prison sentence would have the effect of making other 'idiots' perhaps think if they are driving road vehicles over un-manned rail crossings.

As for him considering himself 'unlucky', does this mean he's been parking on the railway for years and got away with it up to now?

 

[merlodlliw]

A prison sentence would have the effect of making other 'idiots' perhaps think if they are driving road vehicles over un-manned rail crossings.

As for him considering himself 'unlucky', does this mean he's been parking on the railway for years and got away with it up to now?

But with all respect Captain, he was served with a nine month prison sentence.

Bob

 

[michael769]

But with all respect Captain, he was served with a nine month prison sentence.

Bob

And yet he will spend not even 1 minute behind bars.