Pensioner makes wrong turn onto railway line in Toyota Aygo
Aygo the wrong way
PART OF Newcastle’s metro network was brought to a standstill yesterday, after a pensioner drove a Toyota Aygo along a portion of the track.
In response to the 88-year old’s trundling Toyota causing an obstruction on the line, the Tyne and Wear Metro ceased all services from the Airport and Regent Centre stations — with the pensioner being brought to a halt at an approximate half-way point, at Kingston Park.
Northumbria Ops Support (@NPOpsSupport) tweeted: “MetroNPT Officers have spoken with a 88YR old driver, who drove onto Metro tracks at Kingston Park last night. Nobody was hurt in the incident and no damage was caused. @My_Metro @northumbriapol #ThisIsWhatWeDo #Metro #KingstonPark #NorthumbriaPolice”
The message has since been removed from Twitter.
We currently have a service suspension between Airport and Regent Centre in either direction due to an obstruction on the track. We are operating a replacement taxi service between Regent Centre and Airport to get you to your destination. Apologies for the inconvenience caused.
— Tyne and Wear Metro (@My_Metro) 13 August 2018
At time of writing, it’s unclear what led to the OAP finding themselves on the track, though reports suggested the driver took a wrong turn at a level crossing.
The service suspension had a major part to play in ensuring no injuries resulted from the mishap. Tyne and Wear Metro re-opened the section a few hours later, after safety inspectors determined neither the car or the track had been damaged.
