Near miss on crossing
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• A truck driver showed "blatant disregard" for safety when he drove across an unmanned level crossing, nearly hitting an oncoming train and leaving its driver curled up, crying in his cab, a court heard last week.
At Norwich Crown Court last week Bernard Wilson of Barlborough near Chesterfield, Derby's, was found guilty of endangering the life of train driver Mark Holmes after driving on to a crossing without first ensuring it was safe to do so.
Jurors heard a 60mph train missed Wilson's truck by "just a few feet" as he drove across the crossing at Britannia Farm, near Yarmouth, last October. Wilson, who is now unemployed, pleaded not guilty.
The court heard a sign at the crossing told drivers to stop and phone a signalman to ensure it was safe to cross. The driver was left curled up crying in the cab and was unable to work for six months.
Giving evidence, Wilson said he had not visited the area before and was following the site foreman.
Adjourning the case for a presentence report, Judge Peter Langan told Wilson he should not hold out the prospect of a particularly lenient sentence.