A 95-year-old Knight who brought a major trunk road to a standstill by causing a horrific crash has been allowed to keep driving.
Sir Donald Miller escaped a ban after he admitted driving carelessly and pulling out into traffic on the A9 north of Perth.
A court heard an oncoming motorist and his pregnant passenger had no chance to get out of the way of Miller’s BMW as he pulled out of a junction.
Their Toyota Hilux smashed into the side of his car and pushed it some distance down the dual carriageway in a crash which left the road blocked in both directions.
Miller – the first Chairman of Scottish Power – was not disqualified after the court was told he had a clean driving licence and a lengthy, blemish-free driving record.
‘Horror’ as car pulled out
Fiscal depute Bill Kermode told Perth’s Justice of the Peace court: “At 2.35pm Mr (John) Cooper and his passenger were driving south on the A9.
“They saw two vehicles pull safely out from the B8079 junction and cross the carriageway.
“Due to approaching the junction, he reduced his speed to 45 miles per hour.
“He then watched as a third car – a silver BMW driven by the accused – pulled up to the junction.
“Due to his proximity to the junction he expected the car to stop and allow him to pass safely.
“To his horror, the accused didn’t stop at the junction and continued out into the southbound carriageway of the A9.
“There was a car directly behind the accused’s that was shocked he had pulled away from the junction as there was little room or time to do so safely.
“Mr Cooper had very little time to react.
“He slammed on his brakes but couldn’t avoid striking the driver’s side of the accused’s car.
“Due to the speed he was travelling at, his Toyota Hilux pushed the accused’s car down the carriageway for some metres, before both came to a stop blocking both carriageways of the A9.”
Accused had cataracts
Mr Kermode said Mr Cooper sustained a sprained wrist and his five months pregnant passenger was uninjured, despite concerns about the potential damage caused by her seatbelt to her unborn child.
The court was told that “due to his age” Miller was taken to Perth Royal Infirmary for a check-up but he had escaped injury.
Representing himself, Miller said: “I accept I had a momentary lapse of judgement of the speed and distance of the south-going vehicle.
“It is a very difficult junction when traffic is heavy, in that there’s no waiting area between the two lanes for traffic turning right.
“At the time I was suffering from cataracts and had been waiting for an operation for 18 months or more but I had not been told not to drive.
“I’ve since had the operation which has been successful.
“My primary reason for having my licence is to be able to take my wife out from the care home for breaks and pursuing other leisure activities such as golf.”
Penalty points and fine
JP Paul Walker said: “I note the difficulty of the junction and your cataract issues, which tells me you should have been taking even more care if you were on the road at all.
“I do sense your contrition and you have had a clean driving licence over a long period.
“I ask you to keep monitoring your situation regarding your fitness to drive.”
He imposed six penalty points and gave Miller a month to pay a £400 fine.
Miller, from Kilmalcom, is credited with playing a pivotal role in the creation of Scotland’s electricity network and was Knighted for Services to Industry in 1990.
He has Honorary Doctorates from Aberdeen and Strathclyde Universities and was inducted into the Scottish Engineering Hall of Fame in 2015.
He admitted driving carelessly on the Blair Atholl to Bruar road at the A9 junction on 2 August last year, failing to give way and emerging onto the dual carriageway when it was unsafe to do so.
He admitted damaging both cars and injuring Mr Cooper.
