Ban for driving at‘phenomenally stupid speed’
Personal items were taken
A man who drove at a “phenomenally stupid” speed on the M90, near Perth, has been fined £750 and disqualified for 14 months at the Sheriff Court.
Thirty-four-year-old Ryan Hardy was clocked at 132mph - nearly double the 70 limit during pitch black conditions on the Perth-Edinburgh motorway, at Craigend.
He will also have to re-sit the extended driving test before he
Calls are being made for a safety audit on a stretch of road that has seen two serious incidents this year - including a fatality.
On January 20, four teenagers were taken to hospital after the Vauxhall Corsa they were travelling in on the A90 between Perth and Dundee was pursued by police with the chase ending in a crash near St Madoes.
And last Friday, a 34-year old male pedestrian was hit and killed by a car on the A90 near Kinfauns.
Conservative politicians Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, and Councillor Angus Forbes, convenor of Perth and Kinross Council’s environment committee, said it is time the Scottish Government carried out a safety audit of the road.
Mr Fraser said: “There have been concerns about road safety on the A90 Perth to Dundee road for some time and the situation has been exacerbated recently with two major accidents in February - with one resulting in four young people being taken to hospital.
“I have written to the cabinet secretary for transport regarding this issue as we feel a safety audit of the road needs to take place.
“Part of the problem is that the A90 Perth to Dundee road is an ‘A’ class road that takes traffic from the M90 motorway, but many motorists don’t realise this and then they encounter things like tractors and bus stops.
“This can obviously cause real problems for many vehicles who could well be travelling at speeds associated with motorways.”
Mr Fraser suggested the road can get back behind the wheel of his black Audi A4 Avant Quattro, which had the personalised number plate RY04HDY.
It was one of the highest speeds ever recorded on a Scottish road.
He admitted driving dangerously on the PerthEdinburgh motorway during darkness on May 2, 2020.
He was overtaking at the time, was also passing slip roads and was on the approach to a fly-over just before 10.30pm when he was caught in a police speed trap.
A Tayside Police officer shared an image of the speedometer, which read “+132mph,”on social media as a warning to others.
Hardy was one of five motorists caught doing more than 100mph on Tayside roads that weekend during the coronavirus pandemic lockdown.
A police spokesperson warned might need improved signage to warn motorists that they are not on the motorway anymore and that some agricultural vehicles frequently use the A90 road.
Councillor Forbes, who represents the Carse of Gowrie ward, added: “I met with Transport Scotland officials around two years ago to discuss this very matter as I realised that safety improvements were well overdue.
“Sadly nothing has happened.” The A90 Perth to Dundee road also saw a lorry hauling a crane hitting a flyover bridge near St Madoes on October 31, 2019.
No one was injured on that occasion, but the flyover was subsequently closed for 12 months as a result. the following day: “The quieter roads are not a racetrack.
“This recorded speed on the M90 near Bridge of Earn last night was phenomenal – phenomenally stupid that is.
“The driver of the black Audi A4, which our roads policing unit caught travelling at this speed, will now have to explain himself in court.”
Greg Burns, who is Tayside Roads Policing Unit’s inspector,
A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: “Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of the deceased following the incident on Friday, February 26 near Kinfauns. As part of standard policy after such accidents, our officials will be meeting with representatives of Police Scotland and BEAR Scotland to obtain more detailed information on the circumstances surrounding it.
“As police investigations into this fatal accident and the incident at Glencarse last month are ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Enquiries into both incidents are still ongoing.” added: “There is absolutely no excuse for driving at speeds like this.
“While the roads may be quieter due to the coronavirus lockdown, they are no less dangerous.”
Hardy, of Ballaugh, The Fleurs, Falkland, was ordered by Sheriff Neil Bowie to pay the fine at £50 a month following his court appearance last Friday when he pled guilty to the charge.