A BLUNDERING trucker whose judgement error became an internet hit when he got his 13-foot-high furniture lorry wedged under an 11-and-a-half foot bridge dodged a driving ban today (Wednesday) after a sheriff said he was more stupid than dangerous.

Steven Hampson (43), of Manse Place, Inverkeithing, "failed to appreciate the height of his vehicle" and crashed it into the underside of the bridge in Elgin Street, Dunfermline on 28th October.

The moment it collided with the structure, clearly signposted as having an 11ft 6in height limit, was captured on the dashboard camera of the vehicle behind.

Vidoe footage showed the Flemings of Rosyth vehicle travelling along Elgin Street, striking the bridge with some force and tipping sideways to become trapped at an angle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Tx9qGH_a94 Almost 20,000 people visited the Press website and Facebook page when we brought you the story.

The road had to be closed for five hours while Hampson's Daf lorry was extracted, and damage amounting to £1500 was caused to a Scotrail fence.

Hampson was left unhurt but left in a state of shock.

At Dunfermline Sheriff Court he pleaded guilty to careless driving.

Lorraine Almond, prosecuting, said drivers at Flemings had been warned about the low bridge. The accident happened at 8.30am.

Hampson, who normally drove a smaller lorry, said after the incident: "I never thought for a moment it wouldn't fit."

Defence agent Elaine Buist said Hampson had simply been following his Sat Nav.

Sheriff Charlie Macnair interjected: "But there's a big sign that says how high the bridge is."

Miss Buist said: "He absolutely wishes he had looked at that sign. The whole incident has been traumatic."

Miss Buist said Hampson, a father of four who had held driving jobs all his working life, lost his job within a day-and-a-half of the incident and was now unemployed.

She said, "He's found it hard to get a new job with the threat of possible disqualification hanging over him "He was going at a very low speed."

Sheriff Macnair said it was not a case where a driving ban was necessary.

He said, "In a lot of careless driving cases that come before the court there's a risk of serious injury to the public but the only person at risk here was you.

"It seems to me that this verges on crass stupidity, more than anything else.

"How the driver of a lorry can't see a sign is beyond me."

He fined Hampson £265 and ordered his licence to be endorsed with four penalty points.

Inspectors from Network Rail were drafted in to assess the bridge's integrity after the incident last year, before giving it the all clear.

A spokesman said at the time, "Our structural engineers have been out and assessed it and there is no damage to the structure. It is for for traffic.

"All out bridges are clearly marked with a height limit so drivers should know what they are going under but unfortunately people don't always pay attention.

"In most cases the bridge will be robust enough and there won't be a problem."

The bridge carries only freight trains and no trains were due before the inspection was complete.