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SHEEPDOGS REQUIRED
A sheep caused problems close to the M1 motorway near to Chesterfield in the UK. A number of people stopped to assist in keeping the animal from the roadway, aiding two police officers busy at the scene. The officers were able to catch the miscreant and persuade it into their police vehicle. The sheep was later released in a field better suited to its needs.
TUNE IN, TURN ON
Drivers in Hungary using the new R 67 expressway link will benefit from an unusual design feature of the road once the work is complete. Those driving at a certain speed will be able to hear the melody to the song, Route 67, by local rock band Republic. This effect will be achieved due to grooves cut into the road surface, which will generate harmonic frequencies in the tyres of vehicles driving within a certain speed range when using the link.
PARKING PROBLEMS
A car parking area in the US state of Connecticut saw an unusual vehicle type using the facility recently. A pilot using a nearby airstrip accidentally clipped a tree as he flew his Cessna over the parking area. The tree caught one wing, spinning the light aircraft around and depositing it neatly between the painted lines in one of the marked parking areas. The pilot escaped with only minor injuries luckily. How much he was charged to park his aircraft has not been revealed.
BEE CAREFUL OUT THERE
Police attending a truck crash in China’s Shanxi Province had a rather unwelcome surprise when they arrived at the scene of the incident. A truck carrying 160 beehives had overturned, spilling its contents over the road. With each over the hives containing thousands of bees, a swarm quickly gathered around the wreckage. The officers who arrived at the scene were not wearing protective gear and many received multiple stings on their ears and necks in particular. Fire crews then came to the scene of the crash and sprayed water to disperse the insects. The attending officers were able to carry the two injured occupants of the truck out of the wreckage and they were taken to hospital.
ON THE BUSES
Bus passengers in the US city of Seattle are becoming used to a rather unusual traveller on the city’s network. A large black dog now regularly uses the city’s buses, and even has its own seat. The dog has become used to travelling on its own to reach its favourite public park. The animal’s owner was rather shocked and surprised when his dog first boarded a bus but has since become used to the idea. Meanwhile, bus drivers on the route recognise the animal and let it on and off at its stops, while other passengers are amused to see the dog travelling by itself.
PARKING PROBLEMS
Severe parking problems were the result of a recent mishap in the UK city of Nottingham. A number of vehicle owners will now be seeking repairs paid for through insurance claims following the unusual incident. A section of fascia for an upper floor of a multistorey car park in the centre of the city collapsed, leaving several cars dangling precariously over the edge. A number of vehicles suffered slight damage in the incident but luckily there were no injuries, partly due to the fact that the collapse occurred in the early hours of the morning.
TOLLING STOP
An RV driver caused traffic delays over the Golden Gate Bridge when the vehicle became jammed in the toll plaza recently. Preliminary estimates suggested that the vehicle owner would have to pay US$10,000 for repairs to the toll facility. Hopefully the driver’s insurance policy will cover the repairs. Although the toll booth itself escaped unharmed, serious damage was caused to the crash attenuator at the toll plaza area. The two people in the RV were trapped inside as its door was damaged in the impact and they had to be rescued by the emergency services, although there were no injuries.
WHO YOU GONNA CALL?
Emergency services in the US state of Oregon recently faced a rather unusual challenge when they were called out to deal with the aftermath of a crash. A truck had overturned, spilling its load into the roadway and onto a number of other vehicles. Unfortunately the truck’s load happened to comprise several tonnes of live hagfish, which were being transported to Korea, where they are eaten as a delicacy. Hagfish have no backbones and produce slime when under stress, which was certainly the case in this crash. The truck and several cars were damaged during the incident and also covered in slime, which emergency crews had to wash away before the road, the busy I-101 route, could be returned to normal traffic flow.
CHECK THAT USED CAR
A man in New Zealand became so intoxicated that when he awoke from his alcohol-induced stupor, he forgot he had sold his car. Alarmed at the vehicle being missing, he reported it as stolen to the local police. The car was then listed as being possibly stolen on a website and its recent purchaser saw this and became highly concerned, contacting the police as a result. Only then did it become clear what had actually happened.
WHERE EAGLES DARE
A cyclist in the Washington State in the US recently had a very unnerving experience. She was dive-bombed by a bald eagle while riding across Camano Island, with the incident captured on her partner’s helmet cam. The young eagle used its claws on the rider’s cycle helmet but did not cause any injury.
