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Boss defends his bridge bash driver
Page 9
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A DRIVER WHOSE truck caused massive disruption to the main east coast railway line after it hit a bridge has been defended by his boss.
The South Tyne Building Supplies vehicle hit the bridge in Co Durham between Durham City and Chester-le-Street.
The driver has not been named but the firm's boss, Toby Parker, strongly defends him. He says: "Everyone is talking about him as if he's an idiot, but that isn't fair. There was no height sign on this bridge as there normally would be, because it's a private road.Also he edged in carefully but the bridge was lower at the exit than it was at the entrance."
A spokeswoman for Network Rail says the company will not be pursuing the building company for the costs of the accident.
She adds: "We generally do not do so because we cannot claim for service disruption, which is the main cost,and the cost of the actual repairs is relatively small."
The driver, who was shaken after the accident, was helped by locals. One woman on her way to work gave him a flask of tea. The former Mayor of Durham, Jeff Lodge, who farms near the bridge, provided a tractor to help remove a concrete beam from the vehicle.
The driver is understood to have recovered from his ordeal and the rail service has returned to normal.