A careless driver hit a lorry and flipped his car on the A82 after a “momentary lack of attention”.
Kyle Macleod’s orange Peugeot was observed veering into the opposite lane of Glenurquhart Road, in Inverness, before it collided with a heavy goods vehicle.
The impact flipped Macleod’s car, which came to rest on its roof.
Fiscal depute Victoria Silver told Inverness Sheriff Court that the incident occurred at around 2.55pm on September 3 2021.
She said the driver of the lorry saw Macleod’s car travelling on the wrong side of the road towards him.
“He brought his HGV to a stop and observed said car return to the carriageway,” she said.
After this, he saw the car “swerve into the rear axle of his HGV” and overturn.
A second witness told investigators that “at no point did the brake lights of the car illuminate as if the driver hadn’t seen the HGV”, the deputy fiscal said.
When witnesses went to check on Macleod he was reported to have made a comment to the effect that he might have dozed off following a long shift – a claim that was refuted by defence solicitor John MacColl.
Mr MacColl told the court that his client, had in fact, been distracted by something at the left-hand side of his vehicle in the moments before the collision.
‘Momentary inattention’
He said: “Mr Macleod’s recollection is that he was doing about 25mph. There is no suggestion of excessive speed.
“It was an accident that occurred due to momentary inattention by Mr Macleod. He accepts that he fell below the standard required of a careful and competent driver.”
Macleod, 22, appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court to admit a single charge of
careless driving by swerving across the carriageway, driving into the path of an oncoming heavy goods vehicle, losing control of his vehicle and causing his vehicle to spin and turn upside down.
Sheriff Eilidh MacDonald told Macleod that the incident represented “a dramatic outcome to your inability to pay attention”.
She said: “I accept what was said on your behalf that it was a momentary lack of attention, but letting your car drift over to the other side of the road can produce damage and can be dangerous for you and other road users.”
Sheriff MacDonald handed Macleod, of Gordon Terrace, Invergordon, eight penalty points and fined him £580.
