An Aberdeen dad doing the school run wound up pinning another parent to a fence with his car after he struggled to find the right gear while doing a three-point turn.
Babar Kamal had borrowed his wife’s car to do the school pick-up but wasn’t used to the automatic gearbox, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told.
The 33-year-old was trying to turn outside Kincorth’s Kirkhill Primary but hit drive rather than reverse, powering the red Seat forward and into the other dad.
The unfortunate parent ended up pinned against a fence and broke both his ankles.
Fiscal depute Tom Procter said the accident happened around 3pm on March 2 last year.
‘Loud revving noise was heard’
“At this point he was attempting to turn his vehicle in the road, essentially doing a three-point turn,” he said.
“He was pointing his car across the road towards the man and was seen to struggle with the gears.
“A loud revving noise was heard before it went forward, mounting the pavement and striking the man, pinning him against the fence.”
He said Kamal, a father-of-three, was in a “state of shock” at the time but immediately leapt from the car to check on the man.
Seeing he was trapped, he managed to then reverse the car back to free him.
“The man was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary where he was found to have fractures in both of his ankles,” the fiscal added.
“He will make a full recovery, but it will take some time.”
‘It was a mistake’
Once charged, Kamal was quick to tell police officers that he had not been drunk or driving fast but had “made a mistake”.
He was originally charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving, his guilty plea to a reduced charge of careless driving was accepted by the Crown.
Kamal was not present when the case called today but defence agent Graham Morrison explained on his behalf how his client had been driving for 12 years without incident and has since been “very attentive” to the fellow dad.
Mr Morrison said: “He took his wife’s automatic car, his is a manual. He did the first part of the turn so he is facing the complainer, he struggles with the gear, thinks he has it in reverse but has actually put it in drive.
“He presses the accelerator and it travels the width of the pavement.
“He knows this man he has hurt and has been very attentive to him. He was fully insured and the man’s damages will be paid.”
Sheriff Peter Grant-Hutchison fined Kamal, of North Anderson Drive, Aberdeen, £640 and endorsed his licence with four penalty points.
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