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Lorry Driver Fined After Bridge Crash Drama

A lorry driver has been fined and hit with nine penalty points after crashing into a bridge in Swallowfield and causing thousands of pounds of damage.

Daniel Gowers, 33, of Dunedin Road, Rainham, Essex, was convicted of driving without due care and attention over the incident on Church Road on 11 February.

The impact destroyed part of the bridge, with repairs estimated at about £60,000, and forced the road to close for more than two weeks while emergency work was carried out.

At Reading Magistrates' Court on 15 September Gowers was found guilty. Court records show he was driving a lorry, registration PX66 NLO, when the offence took place.

He was fined £1,100, ordered to pay £130 in costs and a £440 victim surcharge, and given nine penalty points on his licence.

Wokingham Borough Council said work would begin on 28 September and a two-week road closure is planned while contractors replace the damaged brick parapet. Since the crash the bridge has stayed open with temporary traffic lights and concrete safety barriers in place. The council said it delayed the work to avoid disruption during the Swallowfield Show and the return of local schools, and is seeking to recover repair costs while working with insurers.

Katie French, Local Democracy Reporter

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