An Aberdeen woman has been fined and banned from driving after crossing into the wrong side of the road and causing a head-on collision.
Lynn Henderson, 59, crashed while driving on the A96 near Morgan McVeighs, Colpy Cottage, Culsalmond, Insch on October 30 last year, leaving another driver injured.
The 59-year-old was not personally present yesterday when the case called at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, but pled guilty to dangerous driving through solicitor Ian Woodward-Nutt.
She admitted driving dangerously by causing her vehicle to enter the opposing carriageway and collide with another car, leaving both vehicle’s damaged and the woman who had been driving the other car injured.
Henderson also sustained a fractured sternum in the incident, and has not driven since.
Fiscal depute Brian Young, who was not personally present but appeared via a telephone link, told the court: “The locus is the A96 Inverurie to Huntly road. The offence occurred at around 4.25pm. The accused was travelling in an easterly direction on the A96 towards Inverurie.
“At around this time the accused was observed negotiating a right hand bend where witnesses observed the accused veer to the right and into the west-bound carriageway.
“The complainer was travelling in a westerly direction on the other side of the carriageway and observed the accused’s vehicle travelling directly towards her.
“The complainer immediately reacted by braking and manoeuvring her vehicle onto the near side verge in an attempt to avoid a head on collision however was unable to avoid the accused completely, resulting in the front off-sides of the vehicles colliding.”
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Mr Young said there was “extensive damage” to both Henderson’s and the complainer’s vehicles.
Henderson was left with a fractured sternum and soft tissue damage while the other woman sustained bruising.
Mr Woodward-Nutt said his client had been driving for 38 years, adding: “She has never before caused a road traffic accident.
“Such is her upset at having caused this accident back in October last year that she has elected not to drive since then.
“On the date in question my client had dropped a family member at their home in Keith.
“She was returning to Aberdeen. Her intention was to break the journey in Inverurie to do some shopping.
“Beyond that she has no recollection of the accident. She is unable to say why her vehicle was driven into the opposing carriageway.
“Witness refer to her driving under the speed limit.
“It’s a great relief to my client her driving did not cause serious injury to anybody else.
“She is deeply ashamed to find herself before the criminal court for the first time in her lift.”
Sheriff Philip Mann fined Henderson, of Wellside Road, Kingswells, £600 and banned her from driving for a year.
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