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Pay up for ad of God
Page 8
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NORTHERNIRELAND'S Roads Service has sent a repair bill for £6,812 to a Derry driver whose truck was blown over in a storm on 11 January.
Davy Trafford, a driver with Corry Transport, was driving his empty truck eastwards along the A2 in the province when a gust of wind caught him.
"All 1 remember was the lorry going across the road, then there was a bang and the road was sliding past the driver's window," he says. "Next thing I know I was talking tea nurse."
Trafford was trapped by the legs for an hour until the fire brigade cut him free — he suffered a serious fracture of the right arm.
Both his insurers and the police accepted the accident was an 'act of God' caused by the storm.
However Trafford has now received a letter and invoice from Northern Ireland's Roads Service demanding money to pay for clearing the road following the incident.
A spokesperson for the Roads Service defends the claim, saying action was required to prevent pollution of the Faughan River due to a significant oil spill resulting from the accident. He claims this is normal practice.
-Drivers should simply forward the invoice to their insurers for attention," he adds.