Arrogant 4x4 driver ran over my foot
A motorist drove his 4x4 over a worker’s foot after ignoring his warning that a road was closed, a court heard.
A sheriff criticised mark thomson, 48, for his ‘stupid’ and ‘incredibly arrogant’ behaviour.
He was found guilty on monday of careless driving following a trial at Aberdeen sheriff Court. the businessman, owner of thomson timber company, was fined £1,200 and had five penalty points added to his driving licence.
He ignored closure signs leading to the northern snow gate on old military road, Cairn o’mount, Aberdeenshire, on monday, July 2, 2018.
When he made it to the gate at 6.30am, he was approached by road worker Neil Drever, who informed him that the road was closed and he could not drive his 4x4 vehicle through.
Being questioned by depute fiscal susan Love, mr Drever told the court that when he advised thomson of this, he replied: ‘it doesn’t matter, i’m going through.’
the road worker said thomson then drove forward and ‘ran over his steel-capped boots’. Defence agent Gregor Kelly said it was his client’s position that there was ‘no specific signage’ on the route and, although he was aware of the road closure, he believed it was open until 7am, after hearing that on the radio. thomson, of tornaveen, Aberdeenshire, said he thought the gate was still open when he arrived. telling the court that he ‘wasn’t aggressive at all’, he added that there was ‘absolutely no possibility’ he had misheard the information on the radio and that he ‘didn’t run over’ mr Drever’s foot. sheriff William summers said thomson’s actions were ‘incredibly arrogant’ as well as ‘stupid’. He added: ‘i accept the significant likelihood you thought the road was open until 7am but i also accept there were signs which made it absolutely clear the road was closed from 6.30am, and you drove past those signs. i do accept that you did drive over his toe.’