A Dundee man who smashed into an innocent woman on a busy city street before fleeing his car and the scene evaded police for nine months.
Stephen Murray was jailed for 10 months and disqualified from driving for nearly three years after pleading guilty to dangerous driving.
Murray, of Lochee Road, was driving on the wrong side of the road when he ploughed into the woman’s car.
She suffered fractured ribs and had to be cut from the wreckage by firefighters on the evening of January 12, 2019.
Murray, 42, left the Clepington Road scene shortly after colliding with the woman, who has been left suffering from anxiety attacks as a result of the horrific smash.
He was not apprehended, despite police shortly afterwards finding the car he was driving, until October that year.
Offender fled the crash site
Depute fiscal Rachel Hill told Dundee Sheriff Court: “The witness was driving along the carriageway in the opposite direction when she was confronted by Murray’s vehicle approaching head-on.
“She had insufficient time or distance to react or take evasive action and collided with the accused.
“Both vehicles suffered extensive damage and debris was scattered around the area.
“A witness attended to (the woman) who was visibly distressed.
“Murray was attempting to restart his engine.
“He was able to restart it, then reversed from the locus.
“Emergency services were contacted and ambulance, fire and police attended.”
The crash victim was still in the driver’s side of her vehicle and had to be freed by the fire service.
She was treated for fractured ribs at Ninewells hospital.
‘You drove away. You ran away.’
Defence solicitor Gary McIlravey, mitigating for Murray, acknowledged his client had a history of substance misuse and a criminal record.
Sentencing Murray to 10 months in prison, Sheriff John Rafferty said: “You pleaded guilty to dangerous driving which caused a serious injury to an innocent person.
“You did not keep proper lookout and were driving at excessive speed, head-on, in the opposing carriageway.
“Because of this deliberate act both vehicles were damaged.
“You failed to stop. You drove away. You ran away.
“The report indicates you accept you had consumed illicit substances.
“You have expressed remorse and I accept that but you failed to make yourself known to the authorities.”
Jailed
Murray was jailed for 10 months – reduced from 12 in light of his plea – and banned from driving for 45 months.
He admitted at an earlier hearing that on January 12, 2019 on Clepington Road he seriously injured another driver by failing to keep proper lookout, overtook when it was unsafe to do so, drove at excessive speed and drove on the opposite side of the road, which caused the collision.
Murray also admitted a bail breach, driving without insurance and failing to stop after the incident.
