Two holidaymakers have described the terrifying moment they were confronted by a police vehicle heading towards them on the wrong side of the road.
A court was told yesterday that the van with blue lights flashing overtook three cars as it approached a blind bend and caused an oncoming motorist to swerve on to the verge and crash into a cliff face.
And when Samuel Leach, the officer driving the van, got out, he told the English tourists: “I’m sorry. It was my fault.”
The 26-year-old, who had been responding to an emergency call, went on trial at Inverness Sheriff Court yesterday accused of dangerous driving.
It is alleged he drove in the opposite carriageway when it was unsafe to do so and into the path of an oncoming vehicle being driven by Martyn Binch, causing it to swerve to avoid a collision.
The accident happened at Altsigh, six miles from Drumnadrochit on the A82 Inverness-Fort William road, at about 3pm on December 6 last year.
Leach, who was investigated by colleagues in the former Northern Constabulary road policing unit, yesterday offered to plead guilty to the lesser charge of careless driving, but this was rejected by fiscal depute Michelle Molley.
Mr Binch, 57, told the court that he and his 56-year-old wife Susan were on holiday and driving from Glasgow to Inverness when the accident happened.
He told Sheriff David Sutherland: “I was travelling at about 50mph and was coming round a blind bend when I saw the police car in front of me on the wrong side of the road. It had its blue lights on but I didn’t hear any sirens.
“It was overtaking three cars at that point. There was no room for three cars abreast and I had to brake violently and swerve off the road on to a narrow verge. It was full of rocks and a rockface behind it and I came to a stop when I hit one of them.
“Neither of us were hurt but we were pretty shaken up. If I hadn’t swerved, I would have hit the van seriously head-on. The police van stopped further up the road and a male and female officer came to see if we were ok.”
Mrs Binch also gave evidence and described what happened when she saw the police van heading towards them.
She said: “I remember calling Martyn’s name and putting my hands over my eyes because I thought we were going to smash into the van.
“The policeman was very concerned and said ‘I am sorry. It was my fault’.”
Their Vauxhall Insignia suffered damaged suspension, a smashed wheel and a shredded tyre. Further damage was caused when a tree branch then fell on to the roof of the car.
Sergeant Angus Murray who investigated the accident said there were solid white lines indicating no overtaking and arrows informing vehicles to get on to their own side of the road at the location.
He added: “It would not be safe to overtake if you can’t see oncoming traffic.”
Asked if the road was notorious for collisions, he replied: “We fairly regularly have to attend road traffic collisions, including fatalities, on the A82.”
Inverness-based Leach’s trial was adjourned until January 12.
