The van insurance policyholder recently attempted to drive his newly acquired van through a puddle. However, in the absence of any warning signs, he did not realise that the puddle was several feet deep. As a result, the engine of his brand-new Mercedes van became overwhelmed with water and failed. With the man unable to move his vehicle, its cabin quickly became deluged with floodwater.
The driver then made the difficult decision to remove his trousers, leave his vehicle and wade through the water so that he could seek help. Devon Live reports that the van insurance holder is “fuming” with the local authorities for failing to close the road or to warn of the dangers of the puddle.
The driver, who is in contact with his van insurance company, says he is concerned that his commercial vehicle, which he had just bought for £33,000, is now a write-off.
"There was no light on the road, it was pitch black, no warning and no road closure,” he commented.
"I headed for what I thought was a slight puddle and mistakenly drove my brand-new Mercedes Vito into four feet of water. I'm fuming that the road was not closed. Police came to my assistance and then closed the road."
In a cruel twist, shortly after abandoning his van, the driver said that a council transit van arrived to erect a sign warning of the flood danger.
The scene he described resembled a horror film or thriller. He spoke of the “pitch black” night, the dark looming castle in the background and stags lurking in the nearby fields. “It was pretty damn scary,” he said.
To make matters worse, the longer the man waited, the more danger he realised his commercial vehicle was in. The water level quickly rose further, and the Mercedes’ bonnet became submerged.
He says that the council should be considered liable for the accident as it had allegedly received numerous warnings of the flood risk several hours prior to the incident. He says that he would never have driven the route if he’d been aware of the risk.
“I’m sure people will claim it’s my fault but the road got deep with water instantly with no warning,” he said.
Fortunately, it is likely that if the Devon County Council does not compensate the driver, his van insurance company will.
"But it is just incredible they didn't close the road and warn people," he said.
With heavy rain hitting all over the UK this December, it's important for all van drivers to practice caution and never ignore road closures or flood warnings.