JW Cart Run Over In Newcastle (UK)

[Stoffer]

Here's today's news from up in Geordieland: Newcastle in the North of England. It's just an account of an "alleged" drunken road sweeper driver that knocked over one of our witnessing carts. The article doesn't mention anything about the Witnesses themselves so I imagine that they are fine. Besides, those road sweepers are pretty slow and make quite a lot of noise so I'm sure that our brothers and sisters near the stand saw it coming. I'll paste the text from the article here too so that you don't have to wade through all the adverts!

 

Source: http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/newcastle-council-roadsweeper-drink-drive-13183193

 

Quote

Ex-council worker to face trial after he denies being drunk at the wheel of his roadsweeper

John Paul Carruthers was cleaning the streets for Newcastle City Council when he allegedly got drunk and ploughed into a Jehovah's Witness stand

 

 

A council worker will stand trial after he was accused of being drunk at the wheel of his road sweeper in Newcastle city centre.

John Paul Carruthers, who has since resigned from his post at Newcastle City Council, was allegedly over the legal drink-drive limit when he ploughed into a Jehovah’s Witness stand on Northumberland Street near to Haymarket Metro Station.

A video later emerged which appeared to show the 55-year-old being arrested a short time later on Ridley Place.

 

Carruthers, of Deacon Close, North Walbottle, denies the accusations and said he only drank alcohol after he crashed the roadsweeper.

Prosecuting, James Long told Newcastle Magistrates’ Court: “The allegation is that he was driving a Newcastle City Council road sweeper when he collided first with a Jehovah’s Witness stand next to Haymarket Metro Station. He carried on then a short while later was detained on Ridley Place and was said to be aggressive.

 

“He was restrained by council employees and members of the public.”

Newcastle City Council suspended Carruthers after the alleged incident, which took place on May 11, but he has now resigned.

 

Defending, Neil Connell said Carruthers spotted the road sweeper was leaking oil after he had collided with the Jehovah’s Witness stand.

He said: “He drove the sweeper around onto Ridley Place. He proceeded to walk a very short distance to a Tesco Express and bought two bottles of alcohol, one of brandy and one of vodka.”

 

Mr Connell alleges Carruthers only drank the alcohol after he had hit the street furniture.

District judge Kate Meek told Carruthers, who denies one count of driving with excess alcohol, he will stand trial at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court on July 12.

 

 

[Friends just call me Ross]

Yikes!  It's a good thing he just collided with the cart.

Since we only set up our carts in areas where there are a lot of people, 

he could have just as easily hit an elderly person,

someone in a wheelchair, or a person on crutches.

 

[Woodland]

Who would have thought cart work could be so dangerous!