A pensioner who nearly died in a north-east road accident has won compensation – but fears his life will never be the same again.
Taxi driver Innes Mackie had to be cut free from the wreckage by firefighters after a runaway trailer crashed into his car on the A947 Aberdeen to Banff road as he took two children to school.
Mr Mackie, 68, and one of his 10-year-old passengers were airlifted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary with life-threatening injuries.
The trailer – a cattle transporter – had broken free from a tractor ahead of them.
Eighteen months on, Mr Mackie has now won compensation from the farmer.
Speaking about his ordeal for the first time, he revealed that his injuries had left him fearful of driving.
He said: “I’m not really happy driving far now. My gardening days are probably over as well.
“I can’t see me ever getting back to my old job, which is a shame as I miss the folk and doing the work. I’ll need a knee replacement in the future and I’m not looking forward to that.”
Mr Mackie, of Cowan Den, Turriff, still has vivid memories of what happened on October 6, 2009.
“There is a slight bend in the road as you are coming into Turriff (from the north) and I had seen a tractor coming towards me from the opposite direction,” he said.
“The tractor was just about passing me when I noticed that the trailer being towed by the tractor had come on to my side of the road.
“I swerved to the left and braked but there was nothing I could do. The trailer crashed into us on the front and at my side of the car. We were then off the road on the verge.
“After the collision the windscreen, roof and right side of the vehicle were all pushed in on top of me.”
He added: “The young lad behind me was worse than me. He was taken in first and then the helicopter came back and took me to ARI.
“I had a collapsed lung. They also thought both my legs were badly broken but luckily it was just my right.
“I went into theatre and they put on an external fixation, which is like scaffolding.
“I also got a pin in my leg all the way down.
“I had quite a few cuts on my face and I have had various operations to my right leg and a lot of treatment taking glass out of my arm.
“I was in hospital for 10 weeks and it was a shame for the grandchildren as we had to cancel a holiday with my son and his family.”
Mr Mackie had sought £115,000 from farmer John Baxter, but they have settled out of court for an undisclosed sum.
Solicitor advocate Malcolm Mackay, of Balfour and Manson, said: “Although he did not get all of the money we sued for, it is rare to get the full sum claimed. He is now keen to try to put it behind him as best he can, but he will probably need more surgery on his knee and will have to live with the effects of this for the rest of his life.”
Mr Baxter, of Troup Home Farm, Gamrie, was unavailable for comment.