Twinkle Toes
Growing old disgracefully
A MAN who was in hospital for more than a month after his motorbike hit a stray sheep has been billed for the damage the accident caused to the road.
Moray Ferguson broke his hip, pelvis and collarbone, cracked seven ribs and suffered a collapsed lung when he struck the animal.
He was in a critical condition in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary after the accident on July 4, on an unclassified road near his home at Greenacres, Greeness, near Cuminestown.
After spending a day in intensive care and five weeks in the hospital’s high dependency unit, the 47-year-old went home, only to find the council had sent him a £200 bill for the damage caused to the road in the accident.
The father-of-two said: “I was completely shocked. I phoned my insurance company and sent them a copy of the letter.
“The accident wasn’t my fault. I didn’t know there was going to be a stray sheep on the road. I’m lucky to be living and breathing.”
Mr Ferguson’s bike caught fire after the crash near South Teuchar Farm, which scorched the road surface.
An Aberdeenshire Council spokesman said: “We regret that the motorcyclist was injured but we contact individuals involved in accidents which cause damage to our property directly because it gives them the option of putting it to their insurers, or paying for it themselves if it’s a minor claim and they don’t want to affect their no-claims bonus.”
The spokesman added that after fatal accidents any bill is sent straight to insurers.
Would you ever? The poor bugger goes through all that - only to be FLEECED in the end by the bleedin' council.
Moray Ferguson broke his hip, pelvis and collarbone, cracked seven ribs and suffered a collapsed lung when he struck the animal.
He was in a critical condition in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary after the accident on July 4, on an unclassified road near his home at Greenacres, Greeness, near Cuminestown.
After spending a day in intensive care and five weeks in the hospital’s high dependency unit, the 47-year-old went home, only to find the council had sent him a £200 bill for the damage caused to the road in the accident.
The father-of-two said: “I was completely shocked. I phoned my insurance company and sent them a copy of the letter.
“The accident wasn’t my fault. I didn’t know there was going to be a stray sheep on the road. I’m lucky to be living and breathing.”
Mr Ferguson’s bike caught fire after the crash near South Teuchar Farm, which scorched the road surface.
An Aberdeenshire Council spokesman said: “We regret that the motorcyclist was injured but we contact individuals involved in accidents which cause damage to our property directly because it gives them the option of putting it to their insurers, or paying for it themselves if it’s a minor claim and they don’t want to affect their no-claims bonus.”
The spokesman added that after fatal accidents any bill is sent straight to insurers.
Would you ever? The poor bugger goes through all that - only to be FLEECED in the end by the bleedin' council.
