Some People Don’t Know When They’re Well Off…

A Kidwelly farmer has spoken of the "hell" he has endured following a crash between a train and his tractor trailer.

That ‘hell’ being getting off very lightly with a suspended sentence, and being given the bill for the damage.

The incident happened on January 31 when he was driving a tractor and trailer over the Morfa Maen crossing in Kidwelly, to access fields where horses are kept.

But he left his trailer overhanging the tracks and a train came around the corner, ploughing into the vehicle.

Luckily, no-one was injured by this idiot’s criminal carelessness. But then, hang on, he thinks he’s some kind of victim:

But Mr Watkyn-James has taken issue with the figure quoted for the damage to the train.

"There was very little damage on the train and there is no way that thing could have cost that much. The company have put in a claim way above what they said in court — a £100,000 claim. It doesn't seem to add up."

It’s a train, a very complex piece of machinery, not some rattletrap piece of farm implement. If your insurance company disputes the stated cost, fair enough, but it seems they haven’t…

The 51-year-old of Limestone Hill Farm, Crwbin described the damage as being contained to "a bit of fibreglass" on the side of the train, adding that he has been through "hell" since January.

"It's unbelievable what happened," he said. "I could never dream that something like that could happen to me. It's just one of those things — bad luck. It's hell.

"Sometimes you hear about other people and think it can never happen to you. But sometimes your luck isn't in."

And sometimes your one remaining brain cell is out to lunch too…

You'd think, from his words, that the accident was caused by an act of god, an unforeseen consequence, not his own carelessness!

Following the court case, a British Transport Police spokesman said: "The cost to repair the damaged train was £81,991, while Arriva Trains were hit with further costs of £84,862 accumulated through loss of service."

I hope they get every penny. And I hope Mr Watkin-James’ premiums go through the roof…