A trainee engineer who crashed head-on into a car towing a caravan after drifting across one of Perthshire’s busiest roads has escaped a driving ban.
Ceirran Knight, 21, had no explanation for why he veered into the oncoming lane and caused a smash which left a female passenger injured.
Sheriff Jillian Martin-Brown allowed Knight to stay on the road after hearing he had drifted into the wrong lane “for a couple of seconds.”
Knight may have been in the wrong lane for up to 50m if he was driving at close to the 60mph limit on the A9 in Perthshire.
Fiscal depute Carol Docherty told Dundee Sheriff Court that holidaymakers David and Helen Hastie were heading south with their caravan on August 6 2018.
She said: “They were aware of the accused’s Ford Fiesta travelling north towards them on a straight section of the road. There were no vehicles ahead or behind him.
“Their attention was drawn to the fact the accused’s vehicle began to drift from the north to the southbound carriageway and directly into their path.
“It was described as being like pulling out to overtake and limited the time and distance they had to take evasive action.
“The accused did not alter his speed or direction and continued to travel towards the front of the Hastie’s vehicle. The result was a head-on collision.
“There was extensive damage. Mrs Hastie suffered damage to her vertebrae, attended hospital, and her treatment is ongoing.”
Knight, of Brock Street, North Queensferry, admitted driving carelessly on the Perth to Inverness A9 at House of Bruar and causing an accident on August 6 2018.
Sheriff Jillian Martin-Brown said: “He is unable to recall the circumstances of the collision due to post traumatic amnesia as a consequence of the head injury he sustained.”
She noted a road traffic accident investigation report said Knight could have been on the wrong carriageway for up to 2.4 seconds without making any attempt to get back to the right side of the road.
He was fined £400 and had five points imposed upon his licence.
