A police officer tried to resuscitate a dying child who was among five people killed by a fatal crash on the A96, a court has been told.
Pc Danielle Jack and a colleague arrived at the collision between a white Fiat Talento minibus and an orange Nissan SUV, close to the Drummuir junction near Keith.
She told the High Court in Edinburgh it appeared that the minibus seemed to have “shunted” the SUV onto a grass verge at the roadside.
Minibus driver Alfredo Ciociola, 50, has denied causing the deaths of five passengers – including his four-year-old son Lorenzo – by driving dangerously.
Frances Saliba, one of Ciociola’s passengers, also lost her life on July 26 2018.
Advocate depute Derick Nelson asked PC Jack: “Was it clear to you both vehicles were locked together having hit head-on?”
She replied: “Yes.”
Highly distressed
Ciociola is accused of failing to pay proper attention to the road ahead, falling asleep, and repeatedly braking and driving onto the opposing carriageway before colliding with the orange Nissan SUV driven by Morag Smith.
Pc Jack said there were four occupants of the orange Nissan SUV but two women in the rear of the vehicle appeared not to be breathing.
Pc Jack said the driver Morag Smith was trapped in the car and was highly distressed but could speak to her.
“She said she needed to get out,” she told the jury.
Three of Ms Smith’s passengers, Audrey Appleby, Edward Reid and Evalyn Collie died.
The officer said she became aware of members of the public carrying two young children, Lorenzo and Federico Ciociola, who had been in the minibus.
She said the younger boy, Federico, was crying but the older boy “appeared to be slipping in and out of consciousness”.
She was later told that Lorenzo had stopped breathing and said: “I knew CPR was required”.
Pc Jack began carrying out the technique and was joined by other colleagues.
The prosecutor asked if they took turns to ensure that CPR on the child was constant and she said they did until paramedics arrived, but it proved unsuccessful.
The trial, before Lord Mulholland, continues.
For all the latest court cases in Aberdeen as well as crime and breaking incidents, join our Facebook group.