A motorist had to swerve to avoid a truck from crashing into him on the A9 – just minutes before the driver of the same lorry was killed in a collision.
The evidence was heard at the second day of the fatal accident inquiry at Inverness into the death of 50-year-old family man, Alex Fraser.
The inquiry was also told that Mr Fraser had a small amount of alcohol and signs of recent cannabis use in his system.
Audi driver Kevin Thain was driving south near Ruthven Barracks, outside Kingussie, when Mr Fraser’s vehicle began to veer towards him.
He told investigators: “It was not a swerve, it was more a gradual moving on to the opposing carriageway.
“I touched the brakes and steered towards the nearside of the road. The lorry was 20-30 yards away from me when it suddenly swerved or veered on to its own side of the road.”
The inquiry also heard that Mr Fraser, who was killed instantly in the early morning of March 19, 2015, on the A9 at Lynchat, near Kingussie, had alcohol and cannabis in his system.
But police collision expert Neil Irving said: “We don’t know when or how much alcohol or cannabis or what effect it may have had on Mr Fraser.
“We would have needed to have carried out tests on him if he had survived.
“However, he was well below the permitted alcohol level. My conclusion is he was solely responsible for the collision.
“He either fell asleep at the wheel or was distracted by something,” Constable Irving added.
The driver of the other lorry, 68-year-old James Kenmure, from Motherwell, brought his vehicle almost to a halt at the roadside to try and avoid the impact. He suffered minor glass injuries.
But the inquiry heard that Mr Fraser’s cab hit Mr Kenmure’s trailer, and then crossed back on to its own side.
All the evidence has been heard and Sheriff Neilson will issue her findings at a later date.
