Road ban for crash driver who hid epilepsy
A MECHANIC who failed to tell the DVLA he suffered epileptic seizures caused a three-vehicle pile-up when he had an attack at the wheel.
But unlike Glasgow bin lorry driver Harry Clarke – who was not charged over the 2014 tragedy in which six people died – Nathan Craig was hauled before the courts.
The 25-year-old pleaded guilty to culpable and reckless driving by not notifying the DVLA of his ailment and causing a collision.
Yesterday, he escaped a jail term and was ordered to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work. He was also banned from driving for 16 months.
Sheriff Chris Dickson said: ‘You had medical advice not to drive. No one was injured, but that was a matter of luck.’
Inverness Sheriff Court previously heard Craig, of Drumnadrochit, Inverness-shire, kept his illness a secret for almost 18 months. He attended a number of call-outs for employer Stagecoach about broken-down vehicles.
When he suffered a seizure on June 23 last year, his van went around an Inverness roundabout the wrong way, emerging on the wrong lane facing oncoming traffic. Craig then went through a pedestrian crossing before crashing head-on into a taxi, causing it to hit another car.
Taxi driver Thomas Bryson suffered a cut to his head, while Craig sustained bruising and soft tissue damage to his chest.
Duncan Henderson, defending, said: ‘He has not had the easiest of lives. He was lucky to survive when he was four years old having been the victim of meningitis. He was also struck by a car and the victim of an assault which resulted in a head injury. These could all have been triggers for his epilepsy.’
He added: ‘He thought he would not be a danger because all his seizures were night-time when he was asleep. His remorse is genuine.’
Craig was told by his doctor in June 2015 not to drive, and that he should tell the DVLA about his epilepsy. On April 1, 2016, he suffered another seizure but again did not inform the DVLA. Fiscal depute Michelle Molley said: ‘Between May 11, 2016, and June 23, 2016, he repeatedly drove motor vehicles on 15 dates... his actions exposed the public to unnecessary danger.’
It is understood Craig has since resigned from his Stagecoach job.
Bin lorry driver Clarke, 60, was not prosecuted after the deaths of six people in December 2014 after he lost consciousness at the wheel.
A fatal accident inquiry heard he had a history of health issues but had not told his employer or the DVLA. The Crown Office said there was insufficient evidence to raise criminal proceedings.
‘Exposed public to danger’