Dangerous driver made heartfelt apology to crash victim

Young student avoids custodial sentence

A Fife football starlet who caused a horrific car crash has narrowly dodged a custodial term after writing a “heartfelt” apology to his badly injured victim.

Liam McDaid, pictured, smashed into another car after causing other vehicles to swerve out the way during a dangerous overtaking manoeuvre on the A985, near Kincardine.

It careered off the road and into a tree, leaving its driver Mary

McRitchie in the wreckage with multiple broken bones.

McDaid, 20, who played for Raith Rovers, faced being locked up after admitting dangerous driving. However, Sheriff Alastair Brown told the former Dollar Academy pupil: “You will have paid the penalty for the culpability and harm and it is in nobody’s interest you should beat yourself up about what has happened.”

He was placed on a curfew and banned from driving for 18 months.

A studious former Dollar Academy pupil and promising young footballer has been spared being locked up despite causing a crash that left another driver with serious injuries.

Liam McDaid, who was 18 at the time of the accident, admitted causing serious injury to Mary McRitchie by driving a car dangerously on the A985 near to Devilla Forest, Kincardine, on August 16 2018.

After overtaking when it was unsafe to do so, McDaid smashed into a vehicle driven by Mrs McRitchie travelling in the opposite direction, causing it to leave the road and career into a tree, leaving her with multiple broken bones.

Sheriff Alastair Brown had previously warned McDaid, now 20, there was a significant possibility of a custodial term when he last appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court but the sheriff heard how remorseful the first year Napier University student had been during a hearing yesterday.

McDaid, formerly on the books of Raith Rovers and Stirling Albion, had taken it upon himself to write a letter to Mrs McRitchie expressing his regret.

Sheriff Brown told him: “You overtook and that was obviously a very dangerous thing to do.

“It showed utter disregard for the safety of other people using the road, and sums up your culpability in this matter.”

The court heard how McDaid, of Tarmachan Close, Dunfermline, was driving a Ford Fiesta and had been in a queue of traffic when he pulled out to overtake.

Vehicles travelling both east and west had to pull into the side of the road to avoid a collision before he struck the Honda Jazz being driven by Mrs McRitchie.

The fire service had to use cutting equipment to get her out of her car and she was rushed to Forth Valley Hospital where she was found to have suffered a fractured breastbone, fractured rib, fractured heel, nerve damage to her arm and extensive bruising.

Defence solicitor Dana Forbes described her client, from Dunfermline, as a man of “impeccable character” who had excelled at school and now as a student, and had written a “heartfelt” letter directly to Mrs McRitchie to say sorry.

Sheriff Brown imposed a restriction of liberty order on McDaid – keeping him at home between 7pm and 7am for six months – and disqualified him from driving for 18 months.

“It showed utter disregard for the safety of other people using the road... SHERIFF ALASTAIR BROWN

Liam McDaid admitted driving dangerously and causing serious injury to another motorist by colliding with her car.