An 84-year-old woman nearly caused a head-on smash when she drove the wrong way down the A9 in Highland Perthshire.
Catherine Nicoll cannot explain how she ended up driving into the face of oncoming traffic in what she described as a “frightful experience”.
Another motorist had to quickly swerve into a row of traffic to avoid collision.
The Pitlochry pensioner, who has held a licence for 50 years, appeared in court for the first time and admitted driving dangerously along the trunk road, near Ballinluig, on June 1.
Car moved into her path
Fiscal depute Nicola Caira, prosecuting, told Perth Sheriff Court: “At about 4pm, a witness was driving southbound along the A9.
“He moved into lane two in order to overtake a row of slower moving vehicles.
“Upon commencing this manoeuvre, after passing the first car, he became aware of a Honda Jazz travelling northbound in lane two of the southbound carriageway.”
She said: “The complainer realised the vehicle was not slowing down and as a result had to swerve back into lane one, between two vehicles, narrowly avoiding a head-on collision.”
Ms Caira said Nicoll continued to drive north.
“The complainer pulled over at the first opportunity to report the matter to police,” she said.
“He gave a brief description of an elderly female driver.”
Police were called to the scene but were unable to see Nicoll’s vehicle but they got its registration number when they checked the witness’s dashcam.
The next day, police went to Nicoll’s Tomcroy Terrace home.
She admitted she had been driving and was given an eye sight test, which she passed.
The fiscal depute said: “She said to officers that she had not understood how she had made this mistake.
“She said she had afterwards stopped in a lay-by, before turning round into the correct lane.”
‘Frightening’ experience
Solicitor David Holmes, defending, said his client pled guilty by letter as soon as she received her court papers.
“She drives regularly and is a very active person,” he said.
“She still works three days each week, four-hour shifts, and drives approximately 7,000 miles per annum.
“This was a road she has travelled on for many years.
“As she said to police, she cannot understand how she made this mistake.”
Mr Holmes said: “She is very sorry about this.”
Sheriff Jennifer Bain KC told Nicoll: “As you described it yourself in your letter to the court, this would have been a frightful experience.
“It would no doubt have been very frightening for the witness who had to swerve to avoid a head-on collision.”
She said: “I do take account that you rectified your mistake as quickly as you could.
“You have had a clean licence for 50 years and you have never appeared in court before.
“For those reasons, I am satisfied I can deal with this by way of a financial penalty.”
Nicoll was fined £400 and disqualified for 16 months.
A9 confusion
She is the third person this week to have appeared at Perth Sheriff Court and admitted driving the wrong way down the A9.
On Friday, we told how Bernard Blair caused crashes to crash when he motored south in the northbound lane in a 44,000 tonne lorry.
Three days earlier, we reported on mother-of-four Dana Hendry who did a “dangerous” U-turn into oncoming traffic while under the influence of alcohol.
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