A drunk driver who caused a full-scale search after crashing 60 feet down a Loch Ness-side embankment had been banned from driving a month earlier.
Police were alerted after an intoxicated Brodie Ferguson, 23, left a house in Inverness and headed down the A82 Fort William road.
Less than half an hour later, a dazed and bleeding man emerged from undergrowth near Urquhart into the path of a lorry. The injured man told the driver he had argued with his girlfriend, driven at 100mph and crashed.
A search involving a helicopter, a lifeboat and rescue dogs was launched – but a bloody Ferguson was found by police in Invermoriston just after 4am.
Now Ferguson, of Laggan Road, Inverness, faces a possible jail sentence after admitting driving while disqualified and his second drink-driving offence on Inverness streets and the A82 between Inverness and Urquhart Castle on February 23 this year.
Inverness Sheriff Court heard yesterday that a lorry driver had to stop quickly when Ferguson emerged from bushes, covered in blood about 11.55pm.
Fiscal depute Robert Weir said: “He told the driver he had fallen out with his girlfriend and drove at 100mph and crashed his car.
“Before that at 11.30pm, police had a report that he had left a property in Inverness intoxicated and drove away along the A82.
“About 1.30am police were looking for him as there were concerns for his safety. They were joined by the coastguard helicopter which located his white Vauxhall Astra car 60 feet down an embankment one mile south of Urquhart Castle.
“This was about 3.30am. About 4.10am, police officers saw him in Invermoriston, bleeding from his head and hands and arrested him.
“He was taken to hospital in Inverness where a blood sample was taken at 7.28am which showed a reading of 74mg of alcohol,” Mr Weir added.
The legal limit is 50mg.
Sheriff Margaret Neilson noted Ferguson’s previous conviction, saying: “He was convicted of a directly analogous matter on January 21 and this was just a month afterwards.”
Sentence was deferred for a background report until January 26.
Defence solicitor Duncan Henderson reserved his comments until next month.
Last night, North MSP David Stewart did not wish to comment on individual cases, but said it was important to remind road users not to drive while impaired over the holiday period.
“As a long-standing road safety campaigner, it’s obvious that there’s greater risks over the festive season,” he said.
“Anything that causes impairment causes greater dangers for road users, and that can be alcohol, drugs, prescription drugs, changing a CD.
“My plea as a road safety campaigner is not to drive while impaired. You have a responsibility to passengers, cyclists and other road users.”
