Lorry driver gets nine points for causing 'bizarre' railway bridge crash
Police have closed the road after a car transporter became stuck underneath the bridge Picture: PAUL GEATER - Credit: Archant
A 62-year-old lorry driver has been handed nine points on his licence for colliding with a railway bridge in Ipswich.
A car transporter driven by Simon Duddridge collided with the bridge over Bramford Road, dislodging one of the vehicles it was carrying, just before 5.25pm on Monday, July 6.
As a result of the crash, a Volkswagen Caddy became lodged between the underside of the bridge and the roof of a Ford Transit being towed by the DAF truck, which was travelling in the direction of Ipswich town centre.
While the closure of the road caused a backlog of traffic for several hours, the crash also led to some disruption on Greater Anglia services.
The road remained closed for around two hours before reopening to traffic at 7.30pm.
Network Rail engineers were called to the scene and later determined that no damage had been done to the bridge.
Two Greater Anglia trains were allowed to cross the bridge at walking pace before the vehicles were removed.
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A full inspection of the bridge showed that the van had only scraped the underside of it without causing any substantial damage.
A witness said at the time: “It’s a very sturdy bridge. It looked like nobody was hurt, which is the important thing.
“People thought it was the most bizarre thing they had seen in a long time.”
Suffolk police confirmed no arrests had been made following the crash but the driver was later summonsed to court by postal requisition.
Duddridge, of Papworth Everard, Cambridgeshire, subsequently admitted driving without due care and attention via post.
On Thursday, in his absence, Dudderidge, was handed nine penalty points on his otherwise clean licence and fined £120 at Suffolk Magistrates' Court.
He was also sent a bill for £110 in prosecution costs and a £34 statutory court surcharge.
Prosecutors said the lorry collided with a clearly marked and visible railway bridge with a height restriction of 15ft 9in nine inches, and that debris from the collision fell onto a Hyundai ix35, due to Duddridge's careless driving.
