Saturday, September 08, 2007

Welsh man fined after getting run over - you couldn't make it up!

Man fined after getting run over - Metro

Is this really true? Unbelieveable!!

Daniel Horne of Llanharry, Glamorgan

When a police car swerved off the road and ran over Daniel Horne's foot, he thought he was owed an apology. But instead he was landed with an £80 fine – for denting the car.
Mr Horne, 28, said he was 'speechless' when the PC who had been at the wheel wrote in the fine notice: 'You ran into the nearside front wing of a marked police vehicle causing a dent.'
He said: 'I was in agony, with my foot broken in bits, and I end up being fined for my body damaging the police car.'

The businessman was on his way home from a night out with friends when he was rammed from behind, knocked over and had his foot crushed under the wheels of the patrol car.
The group had pulled over when their own car had a flat tyre, leaving the vehicle with the hazard warning lights flashing to walk to the nearest village to find help.
But a passer-by thought they were dumping the car and called the police. Mr Horne said: 'I was just walking along the pavement and heard the police car siren coming behind us.

'The next thing I knew was that the police car came on to the pavement to stop us.
'The car hit my right leg and I fell over – with my foot being crushed under the front wheel.'
Mr Horne said the police soon accepted they had done nothing wrong and Mr Horne was driven to hospital after the accident in Beddau, near Pontypridd, South Wales.

He added: 'The copper was very helpful and was there with me for about three hours while the doctors examined me.

'He gave me a lift back but then he told me, “Sorry but I've got to do this to cover myself”.'
Doctors have told Mr Horne, of Llanharry, Glamorgan, that he will need to wear a cast for nine weeks. He has been unable to work at the courier company he runs and plans to sue the police for compensation. He added: 'There is no way I'm going to pay the fixed penalty fine. I've spoken to my solicitor and I'm going to fight it all the way.'

A South Wales Police spokeswoman confirmed that a fixed penalty was issued for criminal damage, adding: 'We have received a complaint from Mr Horne and are looking into it.'

Monday, September 3, 2007