The director of a haulage firm crashed one of his company’s HGVs into a car as he made his way to the annual Truck Fest event at Ingliston.
Robert Ritchie was driving south on the A9 when he collided with Richard Fleming’s car on the Broxden roundabout, on the outskirts of Perth.
The collision resulted in almost £1,800 of damage to Mr Fleming’s car.
Following a small claims hearing at Perth Sheriff Court, Sheriff Mhari Mactaggart placed the blame for the accident firmly on the lorry driver’s shoulders and ordered him to pay for the damage caused.
Mr Fleming (49), of Newport in Fife, was driving his daughter and a foreign exchange student when they were struck by Mr Ritchie’s HGV on July 31 2009.
They entered the Broxden roundabout ahead of the lorry and, the sheriff accepted, remained in the correct lane throughout.
As both vehicles approached the M90 exit on the roundabout, the car was struck on the nearside by the lorry driven by Mr Ritchie (50), of Carrbridge.
The impact pushed the car across the M90 exit, causing it to collide with a raised area, blowing out the vehicle’s front tyres.
Mr Fleming called the police following a ”verbal exchange” with the lorry driver as to who was responsible.
Mr Ritchie, who is a director with Aviemore-based haulage company David Ritchie and Sons, told the court that in his view Mr Fleming had ”cut him up”.
However, in her findings Sheriff Mactaggart concluded: ”The accident occurred as a result of the defender (Mr Ritchie) failing to maintain the correct lane position while negotiating the Broxden roundabout.”
She added: ”The accident occurred as a result of the fault and negligence of the defender.”