A man has gone on trial accused of causing the deaths of three people by driving dangerously and crashing into a double-decker bus.
Emergency services were called to the A90 Aberdeen to Dundee road at its turn-off to Drumlithie, in the Mearns, on March 12 last year.
It is alleged that 35-year-old Marin Rachev, driving a red Renault Megane, caused the collision by pulling out of the junction and into the path of the bus.
This caused two of his passengers to be thrown onto the road, where they were struck by another oncoming vehicle.
Rachev, of Sandilands Drive, Aberdeen denies the death by dangerous driving charge and went on trial at the city’s high court yesterday.
The jury of 10 women and five men were told that those killed in the crash – Dimitar Georgiev, Zaharina Hristova and Silyan Stefanov – were all back-seat passengers in his car, and none had been wearing seatbelts.
Advocate depute Murdoch MacTaggart questioned bus driver Michael Murray about footage from the cameras on board his vehicle.
He discussed several clips showing the vehicle crashing into the rear of the car which was making its way towards the central reservation.
Mr Murray told the court: “I saw a face from the back window and I closed my eyes because the impact was unavoidable.
“I tried to get the coach to come to a complete stop.
“The bottom of the bus had pushed up towards the brake pedal and accelerator – it wouldn’t let me brake.”
Mr Murray said he had not been seriously hurt in the incident but was left with minor cuts and the “memories” of the incident.
He initially returned to work, carrying out non-driving duties, before taking further time off.
Defence solicitor Frances Connor suggested that Mr Murray had been speeding in order to make up time, having left Glasgow for Aberdeen nine minutes later than scheduled.
She asked if he could have done more to prevent the collision from happening.
But he replied that it was unavoidable, adding: “If I swerved I would have caused fatalities from the bus.
“It happened that fast, to be honest, and with the speed I was going at, as well.”
The trial, before Lord Kinclaven, continues.
