CRASH DRIVER CAUSED TEEN’S DEATH
Motorist admits to costing passenger his life and also injuring man and child
A speeding Hamilton motorist caused the death of a passenger and severely injured the occupants of another vehicle when the car he was driving spun out of control on a Lanarkshire road.
Mark Monteith had been at the wheel of the black Seat Ibiza when it spun across the carriageway of Blackwood’s Carlisle Road on April 1, 2016.
At Hamilton Sheriff Court last Friday, the 27-year-old had admitted a charge of causing the death of 19-year-old Aaron Lee by driving without due care and attention and a charge of driving without a licence and insurance.
The court was told that Monteith had no recollection of the incident in which Aaron died and a man and a child were severely injured.
Monteith, of Miller Gardens, is due to be sentenced on October 31.
Alastair Mcneill A speeding Hamilton motorist caused the death of an aquaintance and severely injured the occupants of another vehicle when the car he was driving spun out of control on a Lanarkshire road.
Mark Monteith, of Miller Gardens, admitted a charge of driving without due care and attention on the B7078 Carlisle Road, Blackwood, on April 1, 2016, when he appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court on Friday – along with a charge of driving without a licence and insurance. The 27-yearold was on bail on another matter at the time.
The court heard the deceased Aaron Lee – a front passenger in the black Seat Monteith was driving – had been 19 at the time of his death and lived with his twin sister Courtney and mother Jackie.
He had no medical conditions and kept good health.
Monteith was aged 25 at the time of the offence, was single, and stayed with his parents at an address in Hamilton’s Miller Gardens.
Fiscal depute Jacqui Spiers also pointed out he had a number of previous convictions including offences from 2015 for driving without a licence and insurance.
Shortly after 6pm that day, Monteith had been driving a black Seat Ibiza northbound on the B7078 Carlisle Road in Blackwood and the other motorist, with a child in the front passenger seat, had been driving southbound.
Ms Spiers said Monteith had been driving at excessive speed and as he attempted to negotiate a bend lost control and “spun violently across the carriageway”.
The other driver noticed that Monteith tried to correct the spin, but could not avoid collision. Within seconds, the vehicles collided.
Monteith’s car hit the other, causing extensive damage to both vehicles.
The other vehicle came to rest on a verge. The Seat spun on to the opposite verge and hit a tree.
Motorists came across the collision’s aftermath and noticed smoke coming from the other vehicle.
They took the man and child out of the car.
One witness also noticed Mr Lee had difficulty breathing before he passed away.
Paramedics who attended the scene found Mr Lee to be unresponsive and he was declared dead at 6.35pm.
Monteith was taken out of the Seat. He had suffered chest injuries and was in an agitated condition. He was taken to Wishaw General Hospital. His injuries were not life-threatening.
The motorist in the other vehicle was assessed as having a possible arm fracture as well as chest and abdominal pain. He was absent from work for two months as a result of his injuries the and, said Ms Spiers, suffered from anxiety, disrupted sleep and flashbacks.
The child’s injuries included a fractured left arm bone. She also suffered a liver injury with potential danger to life. This will have to be kept under “ongoing review” said the fiscal depute.
A victim impact statement was also handed to Sheriff Thomas Millar on behalf of Aaron Lee’s family.
Sheriff Millar had asked the fiscal depute who the registered keeper of the Seat was at the time of the incident.
She explained: “There was a registered keeper for this vehicle. However, I have no information on how the vehicle came to be used by the accused at this time. It’s unknown as to why he was driving that particular vehicle.”
Monteith’s lawyer Jackson Bateman told Sheriff Millar that Monteith and Mr Lee had been “friends for a number of years”.
He added that Monteith took “full responsibility” for his actions. However, Monteith had no recollection of the incident itself and had been in intensive care for eight weeks after the incident, and continues to receive ongoing treatment.
Sheriff Millar deferred sentence on Monteith until October 31 for a criminal justice social work report and restriction of liberty order assessment.
He was also disqualified from driving and his bail was continued meantime.