A woman has been fined after crashing into a cyclist because she got distracted by her children.
Belen McKay, 37, didn’t see the male biker when she pulled out of a car park at Westhill Swimming Pool onto Hays Way in the evening.
The cyclist, aged 47 at the time, was on his way home from work and was wearing a red, reflective cycle jacket and black shorts with reflective material. He also had a camera attached.
Depute fiscal Anne MacDonald said the road was dark but “well illuminated”.
She said the cyclist and another driver behind him saw McKay approaching the junction.
Ms MacDonald said: “The accused was driving with the intention of coming out of the swimming pool car park and turning right onto Hays Way.”
She added the cyclist noticed McKay’s vehicle “seemed to slow down” and thought McKay had seen him and that it was “safe for him to continue”.
Keep up to date with the latest news with The Evening Express newsletter
Ms MacDonald said: “The accused then accelerated out of the junction, turning right onto Hays Way into the path of the cyclist and collided with him and his bike.”
The car’s wheel arch collided with the bike’s front wheel and then handlebars with the cyclist landing on the bonnet.
The depute fiscal said: “The cyclist remembers the accused repeatedly saying ‘Oh my god, I’m so sorry’ and also ‘I got distracted by my children’.”
Referring to illuminations on his bike, he replied: “Which part of the flashing lights did you not see?”
The man was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary where he received eight stitches to a split lip.
Ms MacDonald said McKay told police she had looked both ways before pulling out but “just hadn’t seen him”, adding: “I asked if the cyclist was okay and if there was anything I could do”.
McKay, whose address was given in court papers as Parcock Place, Oldmeldrum, pled guilty to careless driving by failing to give way at a junction, failing to keep a proper look out, pulling out when it was unsafe, driving on the opposite side of the road and colliding with the cyclist, injuring him and damaging his bicycle.
The incident happened at around 5.30pm on November 20 2017.
Defence agent Peter Shepherd said: “She couldn’t be more apologetic and sorry for what happened.”
Sheriff Ian Wallace ordered McKay to pay a fine of £570 and gave her five penalty points.
This article originally appeared on the Evening Express website. For more information, read about our new combined website.