Tailback warning! Dog drives tractor onto M74
It’s a close shave as collie takes wheel for a rush-hour adventure
BEARING in mind he’s a dog, Don the Border collie did a pretty good job yesterday of piloting a tractor across a motorway.
But this probably wasn’t the first thought to strike rush-hour drivers as they watched him crash through a fence and hurtle towards them.
Like a scene from an episode of Wallace and Gromit, the sheepdog was at the controls when he sent the vehicle down a steep bank, on to the busy carriageway and into the central reservation barrier.
Despite considerable damage being caused, intrepid Don escaped unhurt – but left scores of startled motorists wondering if they were imagining things.
Road monitoring officials at Traffic Scotland tweeted a bizarre warning that there could be hold-ups ‘due to a dog taking control of tractor’.
For the avoidance of doubt they added: ‘Nope, not joking.’ Appropriately, they couldn’t resist the hashtag: ‘#maycausetailbacks’.
Observers and Twitter commentators joined the pun fun by speculating: ‘Police investigating – so far no leads’; or the inevitable: ‘This is barking.’
A further official tweet from Traffic Scotland gave a follow-up on the dog’s condition (he’s fine) and declared: ‘Has to be the weirdest thing we have ever reported.’
The incident happened at Junction 13 of the M74 near Abington, Lanarkshire, yesterday morning as thousands of drivers travelled north towards Glasgow. Sheep farmer Tom Hamilton, 77, had headed across a field in the John Deere Gator mini-tractor, with the collie in the passenger seat, on his rounds to tend his sheep.
But moments after he got out, it took off with Don at the wheel. Mr Hamilton explained: ‘I was sorting out one of the lambs and hadn’t put the brake on. When I turned around I saw it racing towards the motorway. I ran after it, but I couldn’t catch up.’
He added: ‘I was just hoping Don was going to be all right and that it wouldn’t hit any of the cars.’
Remarkably, drivers managed to avoid the vehicle before it came to a halt and no one was hurt.
Despite his ordeal, Don did not panic or flee in terror. ‘He didn’t even bark,’ said Mr Hamilton, safely back at nearby Kirkton Farm with Don at his side.
Police said the dog set the tractor in motion by leaning on the controls. They were said to have joked that though Don did not have a licence, he was not arrested.
Mr Hamilton said: ‘I’m just glad it didn’t cause an accident. I think Don’s driving days are over.’