Safe Speed Forums

From http://www.topgear.com/content/news/stories/1042/

Caravan chaos!
[28 September 2004]

TG Online reader Fred Kubbinga recently contacted us, having read on Dutch teletext about what may be the most surreal thing ever to happen in the history of the world. Apparently, a 21-year-old driver was stopped by police after driving around for four hours with a caravan in tow... the only problem being that the caravan was on fire.

During his heroic journey, the man left numerous pieces of his caravan on the road, still burning. When apprehended, it transpired that he may have forgotten to check his mirrors, as he was too drunk to stand on his feet.

Alan Kidd


The mind boggles. How drunk do you have to be in order not to notice that part of your vehicle has flames coming out?

I found it on a Dutch page as well http://www.politie.nl/noord-holland_noord/nieuws/nkp_20040815_16.asp – bottom paragraph. Any Dutch speakers about to do a better translation than slightly bizarre version I got with Babelfish?

Burning caravan behind to drive car
New Niedorp, Sunday 15 augusts 2004.
Zondagmorgen saw road users that a caravan which had been coupled behind a car, in fire stood. The combination drove concerning the Provincialeweg N242 and by the police force was found on the carpoolplaats off the Leyerdijk. The brandweer has extinguished fire. The caravan was destroyed entirely. From research came be certain that the driver, a person whose birthday it isperson whose birthday it is person whose birthday it is inhabitant of new Niedorp were, concerning a distance of approximately 6 kilometres with the burning caravan continue drive. Because of this a large number of fires components had rightly come on the file job. Also appeared that the man had drunk alcohol. He blew 245 ug/l. that wide above the permitted fork of 220 ug/l. has been seen the driving behaviour and the fact that he had alcohol was drunk the drivers license of the driver ingevorderd.


and no, I didn't translate the Dutch to English via French, Mandarin and German to get it like that.

_________________
Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler - Einstein

This is a human translation. Don't know where the "4 hours" comes from, unless he did his 6km trip at 1.5 km/hr !

Car drove with burning caravan

Nieuwe Niedorp, Sunday 15 August 2004.

On Sunday morning, fellow road users noticed that a caravan, being towed by a car, was on fire. The combination was driven down the (major road) N242, and the police encountered it at the carpool location by Leyerdijk. The fire brigade extinguished the fire. The caravan was completely destroyed. Apparently the driver, a 21 year old resident of Nieuwe Niedorp, had been towing the burning caravan over a distance of approximately 6 kilometers. For this reason a large number of pieces of burning debris had fallen on the road. It was also discovered that the man had been drinking alcohol. His blow (breathalyzer-device) reading was 245 ug/l. That is well over the allowed level of 220 ug/l. Due to his driving and the fact that he had been drinking alcohol, his driving license was confiscated.