A man has been jailed for 27 months following a “catastrophic error of judgment” on an Angus road.
Michal Dulas, running late to meet his wife, drove straight into the path of an oncoming car on the A937 Montrose to Craigo road last July.
The other driver, a 45-year-old man, suffered a punctured lung, a broken wrist, hip and foot and torn ankle ligaments in the collision.
First offender Dulas, 33, of Lordburn Place in Forfar, overtook two cars while going into the blind bend and had no time to swerve out of the way.
He told police: “I understand that I was driving the wrong way and that I caused an accident.”
Defence agent Sarah Russo said her client is a Polish national who worked as a car mechanic in Montrose and is married with two children.
She said: “On the day in question he was travelling to collect his wife from Laurencekirk. Unfortunately, he was running late hence his decision to overtake vehicles.
“It is his position that he was driving within the speed limit but he does admit that he made a catastrophic error of judgment.
“Mr Dulas had been overtaking vehicles prior to the accident.
“He believed he had sight of the road ahead and did not see any oncoming vehicles.
“He realised at the very last minute that there was a blind spot and it was at this point he spotted the vehicle but it was too late for him to take evasive action there was nowhere for him to go.”
She said Dulas had accepted full responsibility for the accident and has expressed his “remorse and concern” throughout.
“He did not set out that day to cause injury to any other person,” she added.
Sheriff Pino Di Emilio, who also banned Dulas from driving for five years, told him his conduct has had “tragic consequences” for his victim.
“The result of this will also have consequences for your own family,” he added.
He said he took into account the significant remorse Dulas had shown but said he could see no alternative to a custodial sentence in the circumstances.
Dulas pleaded guilty to driving dangerously on July 18 last year on the A937 Montrose to Craigo road, near to its junction with the U438 road to Logie.