A 26 year old man has been arrested for drink driving after he drove his car onto the Metrolink tracks on the ramp outside the Manchester Central convention centre. The car was driven onto the tracks at around 2100 on Tuesday 24th March and was not removed until early the following morning.
The car – a BMW – was so far onto the ramp that a crane had to be called to remove it and this meant that not only did no trams run between St Peter’s Square and Cornbrook after 2100 on Tuesday 24th March but that the following morning also saw continued disruption. Points were also damaged in the incident which were repaired overnight.
The man was arrested on suspicion of drink driving and was taken into custody for questioning.
Usually when a car just drives a few yards onto the tracks its front page news in the M.E.N. But this car managed to get all the way up the ramp and across the point before coming to a stop,yet there was just a small mention of a car driving onto the tracks and no photo.For those of you who know G-Mex ramp it takes some doing to drive up the tracks,as the rail is on a raised concrete plinth about a foot high.If he was insured they should take the insurance company to the cleaners and claim for all the disruption,repairs to the points and the crane.
“Tram Man,” The Manchester Evening News, once one of the most well respected daily newspapers in the North is now so unreliable in reporting of incidents and seem to have a “down” on Metrolink. They appear to blame the operator when someone is taken sick on or vandals attack trams.
The 26 year old driver should be made to pay for the crane and the removal of his BMW,and also to the repair of the points as well,that will teach not to drink and drive,or take his car from him as a deposit for the inconvenience he has cause that night.
Trouble here is the car might not be in such reasonable condition anymore and not be worth even a deposit.
Also his insurance should not pay out due to drink driving and the driver himself be made to pay in some shape or form.
As a person who used to take drink drive bloods from alleged offenders. I think it may be jumping the gun to be so sure of a conviction. Could be a medical condition, drugs or diabetes etc etc. Apart from which if the bloods are taken sometimes they can be within the limit and it takes a few weeks for Chorley to test the samples. Best wait until a definite conviction is made.
In the Manchester Evening News online today that this clown has been convicted and banned for 3 years. Apparently he is blaming the incident on his satnav, and not on the fact that this is the 3rd time in 8 years that he has been convicted of drink driving. Some people just cannot accept responsibility for their own actions even when presented with the facts in a court of law. I hope Metrolink chase him for every penny of their losses.