Family breached Covid rules to see snow then crashed car
A FAMILY who embarked on a 60-mile journey just to experience the snow sparked a huge emergency response after their car crashed.
It was doubly bad day out for the family as they were also fined for breaking lockdown rules.
Police, paramedics and firefighters rushed to the scene on the A50 at Derbyshire when it was reported the Hyundai had ploughed into a ditch on Sunday evening, after spinning off the road.
The vehicle was carrying a family from Leicester who were on their way to Stoke when the driver lost control and ended up in the ditch at the side of the dual carriageway.
In the end three police cars, two ambulances, one doctor car and two fire engines had to come out and help the family.
When trying to justify their journey to police, they told officers they had wanted to see the snow, although they probably expected it to be from a safer distance, a police spokesman said.
However, they experienced the embarrassment of being fined for breaking Covid rules instead, he said.
Officers from the Derbyshire Roads Policing Unit, which responded to the incident, said the family had an “interesting interpretation” of lockdown rules.
In a Twitter post it said: “A50. Family state they went out for a drive to Stoke from Leicester to experience the snow. Interesting interpretation of #Stayhome.
“Loses control and puts car in the hitch. Causes three police cars, two ambulances, one doctor car and two fire crews to attend.
“Yes, tickets were issued.” They were not alone though, as a family of four from Burton who
“were bored at home” travelled 85 miles to Wales for a day out, breaking Covid rules.
The four members of the same household were spotted by police on a snowy hilltop in Powys on Saturday, January 23, enjoying the view. Stunned police told them to turn around and go back home.
They had travelled 85 miles in a journey which would take two hours by car to get to the beauty spot. A frontline rural response police officer based in the Wales revealed he had had three weeks of people complying with Covid rules and not making non-essential journeys, until this case. Under the latest lockdown rules, people should not travel out of their immediate location unless for essential travel, amid the coronavirus pandemic - travelling 85 miles because you are bored breaks the rules, said police. The officer told the Burton Mail that the four people from Burton were from one household, adding: “They thought they would come to mid Wales for a day out as they were a bit bored at home.”
The officer said it was not just people from Burton who had visited for a day out and broken the rules.
He said visitors has even come from Wellingborough and Watford for a day trip.
Those breaking covid rules can face £200 fixed penalty notices.