Lorry Driver Who Smashed Into Bollards Is Given 200 Hours Of Unpaid Work

A HAULAGE driver who smashed his lorry into concrete bollards scattering 40 tonnes of potatoes across a main road, narrowly avoided a prison sentence.

63 year-old Paul Hamill lost control of his HGV lorry packed with thousands of potatoes, after overtaking a tractor, causing him to smash into concrete bollards at the Queen Adelaide Way junction of the A142 in October last year.

Having collided with the bollards Hamill, of Wallis Avenue, Lincolnshire, careered into two other vehicles causing extensive damage, whilst forcing his vehicle to tip over and his trailer of potatoes to scatter.

Hamill, a lorry driver for more than 30 years, was scheduled to deliver his load to Wisbech having set out from Felixstowe, but he struggled to keep control of the vehicle, which was a left-hand drive.

Laura Mardell, prosecuting, told magistrates: "The vehicle impacted with bollards in the middle of the road causing the cab of the vehicle to dislodge and go through the windscreen of a Volkswagen.

"Mr Hamill's vehicle then rolled onto its side and spilled its load of potatoes and a lot of diesel, causing a great deal of traffic disruption.

"Although there were no injuries to drivers or passengers in either of the other cars, they did experience a great deal of shock and distress."

Mitigating, Sunil Khanna, told magistrates: "He accepts that he overtook the tractor and believed it was a safe overtaking manoeuvre, but his vehicle drifted further than he expected."

"I would argue this is a case of a lapse of concentration while driving a left-hand drive vehicle not a case of speeding, excess alcohol or police chases which are typical of dangerous driving."

Magistrates order Hamill to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and he was also disqualified from driving for 12 months and ordered to pay �60 costs.