Fine for driver who fell asleep at wheel COURT:

Sheriff told incident, in which parked car and house were hit, related to medication taken by 76-year-old

I’m content I don’t need to disqualify you, but I’m imposing nine points to put you on a knife edge. SHERIFF WOOD

A man who crashed into a parked car and rammed it into a house after falling asleep at the wheel has been allowed to keep driving.

A sheriff heard that Edgar Dunlop, 76, fell asleep while he was driving because of medication for a thyroid problem.

Dunlop, originally charged with dangerous driving, pled guilty to an amended charge of careless driving and was fined £1,200.

Solicitor Pauline Cullerton said: “It was a thyroid difficulty he was suffering from at the time this incident took place.

“He is now on the correct medication and there have been no further incidents. He is still driving. Where he resides is fairly remote. He does rely on his car for getting out and about.”

Sheriff William Wood said: “It seems you had some advance notice all was not well with your driving on this day and I have considered very carefully whether to disqualify you. You had some advance notice of your condition and you did not take steps to deal with it properly.

“You have taken steps to change your thyroid treatment. I’m content I don’t need to disqualify you, but I’m imposing nine points to put you on a knife edge.”

Dunlop, of Greenbank Crescent, Glenfarg, was driving in Milnathort at lunchtime when he nodded off and veered across the road, ricocheting off a parked car on to the pavement.

The pensioner hit the parked Volkswagen Polo so hard it was shunted more than 30ft along the road after hitting the house.

Depute fiscal Carol Whyte told Perth Sheriff Court the car was parked against the kerb directly outside a house in South Street. It was undamaged.

“At 1.45pm on 22 December 2017 the accused was travelling south along South Street.

“A short time later he fell asleep, causing him to lose control of his car.

“The car veered across the oncoming carriageway and collided with the parked car,” she said.

She said the impact pushed the car across the pavement and into the corner wall of the house.

“The car was pushed further down the street and came to rest on the wall of an adjacent property.

“The occupier of the property heard a loud bang.

“They went out on to the pavement and were able to see what had occurred. He contacted the police and an ambulance.”

Miss Whyte said the police arrived 10 minutes later and took a breath sample from Dunlop, which showed he had zero alcohol in his system.

“Officers could see from the marks on the road that the distance the car had been pushed was 34 feet,” she told the court.

“The accused told police officers he had fallen asleep.

He was taken to Perth Royal Infirmary but released the following day.”

Edgar Dunlop was fined after a sheriff heard he fell asleep at the wheel due to medication.