Motorcyclist’s misjudgement puts car on its roof near Tarbert
A 44-year-old woman injured in a car crash has been left with microscopic debris in her face causing healing problems, Campbeltown Sheriff Court heard last week.
The woman, her 13-year-old son and sister-in-law, aged 44, were driving home from a bank holiday camping trip to Gigha when a motorcyclist riding south on the A83 failed to carry out an overtaking manoeuvre safely, striking the car on the section of the road north of Tarbert where the north-bound carriageway has a hard verge close to a rock face.
Their Citroen CS3 ended up on its roof and slid for about 20 metres. Other motorists helped them from the car and also assisted the rider who came off his bike and slid for a similar distance. The motorcyclist, Colin Turnbull, of 14 Matthews Crescent, South Hetton, Durham, broke his leg.
Turnbull admitted dangerous driving, seriously injuring the woman and injuring her passengers by overtaking another vehicle when it was unsafe to do so, crossing into the opposing lane and striking her car causing it to overturn and causing himself to come off his motorcycle which went on to collide with the crash barrier and another vehicle.
The accident happened on May 26 last year, the Sunday of the Spring Bank Holiday weekend.
Procurator fiscal depute David Glancy described Turnbull, aged 64, as ‘a genuine first offender’ and said the accident happened where a dip occurred in the road.
He told the court that windows had shattered when the car over turned and microscopic debris had entered some of the cuts the driver received; she has had to have repeated treatment and the wounds are an ongoing problem.
Stephen MacSporran, defence agent for Turnbull, who pleaded guilty, said that his client agreed with the narrative, adding: ‘He has driven without incident all his life and has no previous convictions; his only explanation is he made a stupid mistake.’
Sheriff Patrick Hughes disqualified Turnbull from driving for two years and required him to pass the test of competence before he applied to get his licence back. He also fined him £1,500.