Overtaking police driver ‘forced car off the road’
A POLICE van responding to an emergency call overtook three vehicles as it approached a blind bend, causing an oncoming car to crash, a court was told yesterday.
Two English tourists collided with rocks as they swerved to avoid the marked Northern Constabulary vehicle being driven by PC Samuel Leach.
After officers were dispatched to the scene by the side of Loch Ness on the A82 – one of Scotland’s most dangerous roads – Leach was charged with dangerous driving.
At Inverness Sheriff Court yesterday, the 26- year- old denied the offence, which occurred on the A82 at Altsigh, six miles from Drumnadrochit, Inverness-shire, on December 6 last year around 3pm.
He pleaded not guilty to driving in the opposite carriageway when it was unsafe to do so and into the path of
‘We were pretty shaken up’
an oncoming vehicle being driven by Martyn Binch, causing it to swerve to avoid a collision.
Leach had offered to plead guilty to the lesser charge of careless driving but this was rejected by fiscal depute Michelle Molley.
Mr Binch, 57, told the court that he and his wife Susan were driving from Glasgow to Loch Ewe when the accident happened.
He said his car suffered damage to the suspension and trim, a wheel was smashed and a tyre shredded. Further damage was caused when a tree branch fell onto the roof.
Mr Binch added: ‘I was travelling about 50mph and was coming round a blind bend when I saw the police car in front of me on the wrong side of the road. It had its blue lights on but I didn’t hear any sirens. It was over- taking three cars at that point. But there was no room for three cars abreast and I had to brake violently and swerve off the road onto a narrow verge. It was full of rocks and a rock face behind it and I came to a stop when I hit one of them.
‘Neither of us were hurt but we were pretty shaken up. If I hadn’t done it, I would have hit it seriously head-on.
‘The police van stopped further up the road and a male and female officer came to see if we were OK.’
Mrs Binch, 56, told Sheriff David Sutherland: ‘ I remember calling Martyn’s name and putting my hands over my eyes because I thought we were going to smash into the van. The policeman was very concerned and said, “I am sorry. It was my fault”.’
Sergeant Angus Murray was sent to the scene of the accident and prepared a report.
He told the court there were solid white lines indicating no overtaking and arrows informing vehicles to get onto their own side of the road at the location. He said: ‘It would not be safe to overtake if you can’t see oncoming traffic.’
Asked if the road was notorious for collisions, he replied: ‘ We f airly regularly have to attend road traffic collisions, including fatalities, on the A82.’
The case continues.