A driver who had to take evasive action to avoid a stationary police vehicle on the A9 less than a hour before an elderly man was killed in similar circumstances has criticised the police.
Ron Wilson, of Forteviot, got in touch with Tayside Chief Constable Justine Curran to recount his experience which happened shortly before the fatal accident on December 29 when Michael Agnew was killed after crashing into a police vehicle that had stopped on the road.
He felt there were “parallel connections” between his experience and the tragic accident and claimed the police were “courting disaster” by parking on the road.
“I was driving home to Forteviot on the A9 in the same region as the accident,” Mr Wilson (81) said. “The weather was ‘ordinary’ and the main road ‘reasonable’ considering the adverse weather conditions.
“I was in the slow lane doing about 45 to 55mph and moving easily with the traffic. I became aware of flashing warning lights a fair distance ahead and naturally assumed they would be emanating from a lay-by.
“It was only on nearing them that I realised it was a police car which was parked on the slow lane creating a virtual barrier. Because I was, and had been most of my journey, in the slow lane, I quickly had to move into the fast lane to proceed normally.”
Mr Wilson added he was surprised when the police car then tailed him and flashed him to pull over, claiming the officer criticised him for stopping on the road and creating a danger to the public.
“I only did what was expected of me as instructed by them,” Mr Wilson said. “If I had refrained from stopping it would have looked as though I was disregarding the order to stop.Dangerous”They had already been sitting in a dangerous position themselves.”
Mr Wilson claimed the police accused him of coming past them too sharply and being too busy listening to the radio.
“Now the main points in this are obviously strongly related to the awful tragedy which unfolded afterwards,” he said.
“In our opinion the police car should never have been stationary on the slow lane of any motorway, with or without flashing lights, and courting disaster.
“Had I not been an experienced and sober driver it could well have been myself and my companion who were killed.”
Mr Wilson said he didn’t know if it was the same police vehicle involved in both incidents, although he was more than willing to give a statement for any inquiry into the fatal accident.
He wrote to Ms Curran immediately after the accident but Tayside Police initially said they did not receive the letter and he resent his account.
A police spokesman said, “We have received the letter and we will be in touch with the correspondent in due course.”