A motorist who failed to spot a cyclist and drove directly into his path has admitted careless driving at Inverness Sheriff Court.
Andrew Pearson pulled across the road directly in front of the cyclist, causing him to be thrown over the handlebars of his bike.
The rider suffered a fractured elbow as a result of the crash.
Pearson, 45, appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court to admit a single charge of causing serious injury by careless driving in relation to the incident on August 12 last year.
Fiscal depute Sophie Marshall told the court that it was around 4.15pm when the cyclist was heading home along Drummond Road in Inverness.
Driver pulled into bike’s path
She said a witness travelling south on the same road watched as Pearson’s silver car pulled across the road “directly in front” of the man on the bike.
She said the cyclist “made an attempt to avoid the vehicle but was unable to do so.”
As a result of the impact, his bicycle came to a complete stop, causing her to go over the handlebars.
Police and ambulance attended the scene, where Pearson identified himself to officers as the driver of the car.
The cyclist was taken to Raigmore Hospital with an arm injury – later confirmed to be a fractured left elbow.
Careless driver blames sun
Solicitor Graham Mann, for Pearson, told the court that his client believed the sun played a part in causing the crash.
He said: “He looked both ways but clearly had not seen the complainer,” adding “He accepted that he was entirely in the wrong.”
Mr Mann said it was a case of “just not seeing someone that he should have seen” and conceded: “It could have been far worse.”
Sheriff Gary Aitken fined Pearson, of Pendle Crescent, Nottingham, £520 and banned him from the roads for 12 months.