A 63-year-old Inverness man died after suffering a medical episode at the wheel and ploughing into a bridge, a sheriff has ruled.
Evan Cameron died on June 5 last year after his Volvo V50 left the B9176 in Sutherland before crashing into a bridge parapet and careering 49-feet down onto the rocks below on the Struie, south of Ardgay.
A fatal accident inquiry at Tain Sheriff Court heard how Mr Cameron had successfully manoeuvred the first section of the left hand bend into High Bridge before failing to make the second turn.
In a 23-page ruling, Sheriff Christopher Dickson said Mr Cameron had lost control of his vehicle following a medical episode at the wheel.
>> Keep up to date with the latest news with The P&J newsletter
He said: “Mr Cameron then, as a result of suffering some sort of medical episode, failed to negotiate the second section of the left hand bend into High Bridge and instead of maintaining his left turn, carried straight on, across the carriageway, and collided with the west parapet of High Bridge.
“Mr Cameron’s taxi then crashed through the west parapet of High Bridge and fell from High Bridge onto rocks approximately 15 metres below.”
In the moments following the crash, Mr Cameron’s vehicle landed on its roof on the large rocks on the west bank of Allt Fear Burn before rotating clockwise 180 degrees to its regular position, partially submerged in water.
Following a post mortem examination at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness, Dr Mark Ashton identified that it was clear he died as a direct result of his injuries.
He added: “I considered that whilst it was possible that Mr Cameron had suffered some sort of medical episode on the approach to or on the left hand bend into High Bridge it was clear that it was the injuries sustained as a result of the accident that had unfortunately proved fatal.”
Sheriff Dickson has ruled that no alternative measures could have been taken to avoid the fatal crash.
He added: “There are no precautions which could reasonably have been taken that might realistically have resulted in the death, or accident resulting in death, being avoided.”
