A careless van driver killed a pensioner when a scaffolding board came loose on his vehicle and struck an oncoming camper van.
Donald Maclean, 54, failed to notice the board sticking out from his tipper van over the opposing carriageway.
The protruding board struck 72-year-old Philip Kingsley Walker’s head as it smashed into the camper van that he was driving along the A858 on the Isle of Lewis.
Mr Walker was so severely wounded when the board entered the driver’s window frame that he died from the injuries.
At Inverness Sheriff Court, Maclean – a first-time offender – pled guilty to a single charge of causing death by careless driving.
Driver hit by scaffolding board
The incident happened on September 11 of 2019, between a spot near to Loch an Dunain and Kirivick
Earlier, another driver had taken evasive action to avoid a collision with the scaffolding board.
But Maclean travelled a further 1.5 miles without noticing the hazard.
He failed to make effective use of his driver’s side wing mirror, the court was told.
Fiscal Depute Niall MacDonald said that Maclean had no previous convictions.
He lodged victim impact statements from Mr Walker’s wife and brother.
‘Heartfelt condolences’
Defence Solicitor George Mathers, who represented Maclean, said his client had never before been in trouble with the law and offered four references on his behalf.
“He has asked me to extend his heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased,” Mr Mathers told the court.
Sheriff Gary Aitken called for pre-sentencing reports on Maclean, of Parkend, Sandwick.
Maclean will reappear in the dock again next month.
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