A careless young driver who caused a crash near Crieff which resulted in a pensioner being airlifted to hospital has been banned from the road and fined £1,000.
Alistair Currer-Smith appeared at Perth Sheriff Court on Monday – his 23rd birthday – to plead guilty to causing a collision by driving carelessly on the A85 on November 6, 2019.
Currer-Smith, of Cairns Court in Crieff, failed to maintain control of his car and mounted a verge while navigating a bend in the busy route, careering across the single carriageway.
The incident culminated in a head-on collision with a vehicle being driven in the opposite direction by 77-year-old David Birkmyre.
The pensioner had been unable to swerve out of the way due to a stone dyke hugging the roadside and was powerless to prevent the smash.
Both vehicles were damaged “extensively” and a passenger in each vehicle suffered injuries which required medical attention.
After being airlifted to Ninewells, Mrs Birkmyre was kept in overnight to be treated for back pain and it was revealed she had sustained a “small chip” in a lower vertebrate.
She also reported suffering whiplash and chest pains caused by the seatbelt.
Another passenger, who was sitting directly behind driver Currer-Smith, was also injured.
James Jenner-Martin was taken to hospital by road but was discharged later that day, having sustained bruising to his chest by the seatbelt.
High end offence
Sheriff Bowie said Currer-Smith’s driving had been extremely hazardous to other road users.
“Careless driving is a spectrum and this is at the high end,” he added.
Currer-Smith has no previous convictions and saw his sentence reduced to a £1,000 fine and 11-month period of disqualification due to his guilty plea.
His defence solicitor, David Holmes, explained he stopped immediately at the scene of the crash, confirmed he was the driver and regrets causing the collision.
