Lorry stuck under bridge causes delays on A5104 and railway
A lorry stuck underneath Penyffordd railway bridge
The stuck lorry is having a knock-on effect on train services
Commuters are being warned to expect delays as a lorry is stuck under a bridge in Flintshire.
The A5104 is closed in both directions following the accident at Penyffordd railway bridge between the A550 at Penyffordd and A541 at Pontblyddyn.
There is currently no service on Arriva Trains Wales between Wrexham Central and Shotton.
Network Rail engineers are working to remove the lorry in order to inspect the bridge.
Arriva Trains Wales said four trains have been cancelled and other trains have been delayed, but bus replacement services are available.
The photos show the bridge signed at:
4.1m
13 '0 "
Is it me or does 4.1m not equate to 13’ 0"?
I don’t know if this would have any bearing on the drivers case, will trucknet csi please send their full report?
13 feet is 3.96m…if I was that driver, assuming he’s running at 4m, I’d be appealing any fine. It doesn’t look like he’s much higher than the bridge, judging by the back of the trailer.
I don’t understand how bridge markings can vary so much 4.1m is 13’5 so either measurement when converted is nowhere near the posted height.
Definitely a full time driver that one, in a polish lorry thought I would get that in before the agency quips Wonder who did the sign? Taxpayer may have to pay for the lorry
Is a Polish lorry. Is under 4m high. Sign says 4.1m Lorry driver correctly assumes he is good to go. Police who fined him are extracting the urine. Take it to court and watch the police and whoever is responsible for signing the bridge height get a right bollocking in court…
nodding donkey:
Is a Polish lorry. Is under 4m high. Sign says 4.1m Lorry driver correctly assumes he is good to go. Police who fined him are extracting the urine. Take it to court and watch the police and whoever is responsible for signing the bridge height get a right bollocking in court…
Police are taking the p1$$■■ How did you work that out?
Going on the available evidence, at the scene, plod can see a truck smacked up underneath a bridge, and it clearly looks as if the truck was too high. Plod are not going to start measuring up heights and converting units of measurement for an offence of careless driving. Yes, there is potential to appeal, given the conflicting height information, but that is not for plod to answer - that would be the council or highways.
The other option would have been to nick the driver, keep him in the cells overnight, and put him in front of the magistrate tomorrow morning. I’d take the ticket and appeal, personally.
el_presidente:
I’d take the ticket and appeal, personally.
You have two options in relation to a fixed penalty notice - accept the fixed penalty (including any points), or go to court. If you accept the fixed penalty, you give up all rights to challenge your guilt or the penalty imposed. However, you do not have to decide at the scene which to do. If you wish to accept the fixed penalty, you have a certain period of time to send in the completed fixed penalty notice together with the fine and, if endorsable, your licence. If you do nothing with a fixed penalty notice, the matter will go to court.
A foreign driver (which includes a UK resident holders of a vocational licence issued by another EU countries that has failed to follow their obligation to register their vocational licence with DVLA) might be ineligible for a Fixed Penalty Notice, on the basis that they could return to their home country without any effective penalty being imposed. I believe in some cases the police can accept instant payment of a fixed penalty from a foreign driver an an alternative to arresting them, but am not sure whether this applies to endorsable Fixed Penalty Notices such as the one for contravening a traffic sign (£100 and 3 points, I believe). If the driver is ineligible for a FPN, they are likely to be arrested and put before the first available court.
nodding donkey:
Is a Polish lorry. Is under 4m high. Sign says 4.1m
The trailer appears to be Polish, as it has the curtains of a Polish firm on it. However, that doesn’t guarantee the trailer’s headboard was no more than 4m high at the time of the bridge strike. The scenario that comes to mind is a trailer was designed to run at 4m when pulled by a low height unit that was being pulled by a standard height unit. Running the unit’s drive axle suspension at full height and/or rear heavy loading of the trailer might push the combination over height.
If the driver can create reasonable doubt that the vehicle was above 4.1m high, they are likely to be not guilty of all offences. There is no offence of bashing a bridge per se - the initial offence would be contravening the height restriction imposed by the (metric part of the) mandatory height limit sign. It’s not the driver’s fault if they comply with the height restriction and bash the bridge because the actual height available was less than that marked.
However, bashing the bridge after you have contravened the height restriction might add further offences, such as, in order of increasing severity, driving without due care and attention, careless driving or dangerous driving.
nodding donkey:
Is a Polish lorry. Is under 4m high. Sign says 4.1m
The trailer appears to be Polish, as it has the curtains of a Polish firm on it. However, that doesn’t guarantee the trailer’s headboard was no more than 4m high at the time of the bridge strike. The scenario that comes to mind is a trailer was designed to run at 4m when pulled by a low height unit that was being pulled by a standard height unit. Running the unit’s drive axle suspension at full height and/or rear heavy loading of the trailer might push the combination over height.
If the driver can create reasonable doubt that the vehicle was above 4.1m high, they are likely to be not guilty of all offences. There is no offence of bashing a bridge per se - the initial offence would be contravening the height restriction imposed by the (metric part of the) mandatory height limit sign. It’s not the driver’s fault if they comply with the height restriction and bash the bridge because the actual height available was less than that marked.
However, bashing the bridge after you have contravened the height restriction might add further offences, such as, in order of increasing severity, driving without due care and attention, careless driving or dangerous driving.
left ■■■■■■ with same name as trailer. Euroliner wont be higher than 4meter. Bridge is marked wrongly. Train company will want paying for all the delays and cancellations. …
I would not like to be the one responsible for the height marking on that bridge…
Can’t be certain from the pictures but it does look like a low ride unit and appears not to have the wing tops on in the first picture which would suggest it was at the 4m max mark.
The bridge signage along with the above would suggest the driver wasn’t at fault.
4.1m is 13’5 so either measurement when converted is nowhere near the posted height.