A police officer has been fined £500 after leaving her car parked on a slope with its handbrake off, causing it to roll downhill and smash into a house.
Rachel Hutchison’s runaway Fiat 500 was spotted gathering speed as it made its way down Juniper Place in Perth.
It missed two parked cars, before mounting a kerb and colliding with the corner of a house in Alder Drive.
John McNeil, who was sitting in the house at the time, was injured when the impact caused a bed to jump forward and strike him on the leg.
Hutchison, who remains a serving officer with Police Scotland, appeared at Perth Sheriff Court on Friday.
She was originally charged with culpably and recklessly leaving her car unattended with the parking brake off, causing damage to the house, injuring Mr McNeil and exposing others to “danger of injury”.
The 25-year-old pled guilty to an alternative charge of leaving her car unattended by a person licensed to drive, while the parking brake was not effectively set.
Residents witnessed runaway car
The crash happened on January 19 last year.
Fiscal depute Sarah Wikinson told the court: “At 3.45pm, the accused arrived at Juniper Place and parked her Fiat 500 next to the kerb, facing downhill.
“She exited the vehicle and attended at a property there.
“However, the car had been left in neutral and the handbrake hadn’t been set correctly.”
She said: “The vehicle rolled down the hill, towards Alder Drive.
“It was observed by witnesses who said it did not appear to slow.
“The vehicle went through a junction, across Alder Drive and through a small gap between two parked cars.
“It mounted a pavement and entered the garden of a property there, before colliding with the wall.”
Injured occupant
Ms Wilkinson said: “At that time, Mr McNeil was in the address.
“He was sat at a desk, at the foot of a bed which rested against the external wall.
“The vehicle caused significant damage to the brickwork.
“It knocked the bed from the wall, causing the foot of the bed to collide with Mr McNeil’s ankle.”
Mr McNeil and another occupant went outside and saw Hutchison.
“She identified herself as the vehicle’s owner,” the fiscal depute said.
“She said she did not know what had happened.”
Police were called to the scene and Hutchison was cautioned and charged.
Mr McNeil still receives physiotherapy for his injury, the court was told.
The smash left a large, visible crack in the front left corner of the house.
Two walls had to be rebuilt.
‘Just an accident’
Hutchison, whose address was listed as c/o Professional Standards Department, Bucksburn Police Office, Aberdeen, confirmed she is still in employment.
Sheriff William Wood told her: “This seems to have been no more than a mistake on your part by failing to apply the handbrake.”
The sheriff confirmed Hutchison would be allowed to keep her licence.
Mr McNeil was unavailable for comment.
The other occupant also declined to speak about the crash, but said: “I think it was just an accident.”
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