A dinner lady at one of the country’s most prestigious private schools ran other cars off the road during an unsafe overtake on the A96, a court has heard.
Gordonstoun kitchen worker Eliza Monart misjudged the manoeuvre on the Inverness-to-Aberdeen road and caused four cars to make emergency stops and two of them swerve onto the verge to avoid a crash.
The 51-year-old failed to stop, instead flashing the hazard lights of her red Mazda X5 as if by way of apology, Elgin Sheriff Court was told.
Fiscal depute Sharon Ralph said the incident took place at 8.20pm on March 8 last year, near Mosstodloch.
Four cars had to swerve and brake
“Both witnesses performed emergency stops and swerved their vehicles towards the verge to prevent a collision with the oncoming vehicle,” the fiscal said.
“Both also observed the vehicles at the front of the line of traffic also had to swerve and brake to avoid a collision.
“One noted the vehicle to be a red Mazda X5 which flashed its hazard lights as it passed as if to apologise for the overtake.”
The other road users reported the car to the police and Monart was later cautioned, and charged.
She was originally charged with dangerous driving but pled guilty to a reduced careless driving complaint.
Her defence agent Grant Dalglish said the mother-of-two was “not a confident driver” but usually considered herself to be a careful one.
Needs licence for Gordonstoun job
“Other vehicles had overtaken a slow-moving vehicle prior to Miss Monart,” he said.
“She had joined in with the overtake when she thought it was safe to do so but the car she was passing was going faster than she anticipated.
“She misjudged the overtake but thankfully managed to get back into he own carriageway.”
He said she got “such a fright” she’s not overtaken any cars since.
The court heard Monart needed her licence in order to continue her full-time job in the kitchens at Gordonstoun junior school near Elgin due to public transport not being available.
Sheriff Olga Pasportnikov handed Monart, of Souters Lane, Newmill, Keith, four penalty points and a £500 fine.
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