Marchioness caused three-vehicle smash after ignoring traffic cones, court told
A MARCHIONESS caused a three-vehicle smash when she ignored warning signs and cones at a junction as she made an early morning trip to the gym, a court heard.
Lady Susan Zetland’s 4x4 car was struck by another and then spun into the path of a truck after she turned right on to the A66 in Yorkshire despite the turning being closed off with cones.
The 77-year-old, of Aske Hall, near Richmond, North Yorks, yesterday denied dangerous driving at Teesside Crown Court.
The court heard that the wife of the 4th Marquess of Zetland had been driving to the gym at 6am on July 4 last year when the collision took place.
Paul Newcombe, prosecuting, said that she had arrived at the junction and tried to turn despite the signs and cones.
At her first attempt, she nearly hit a lorry and then tried again, causing a Nissan Qashqai to smash into the side of her car. This spun her on to the other side of the carriageway, where she was hit by a truck.
Mr Newcombe said: “She admits the crash is her fault but says her driving was careless driving, whereas we say it was dangerous driving. She was driving her Subaru Outback and was on her way to the gym. She approached the A66 by the Hargill junction and there were some roadworks and some restrictions on the road.
“She ignored the cones and the signs and did not keep a proper look out for traffic and the crash was caused.”
The jury was shown dashboard camera footage from the Qashqai, which showed Lady Zetland’s £30,000 car narrowly missing the truck before pulling out into the road. “It’s not just a case of careless driving but driving that falls far below that of a competent driver,” said Mr Newcombe.
“The road conditions were good, she was not hampered by night-time driving. She was not hampered by the weather, there was no rain and no fog. Visibility was clear.”
Rod Hunt, defending, said that two of the signs on the approach to the A66 had, in fact, been incorrect as they said there was no access to the road at all.
He added that one of the cones preventing cars going straight across or to the right was missing, leaving a gap.
Giving evidence, Lady Zetland said she saw a van in front of her drive straight across the carriageway so she thought she was also allowed to do so.
But she said her memory was “fuzzy” about the incident, adding: “I did not realise I had made the decision to go because the next thing I knew I had been hit.”
She said: “Just about every time you came to the junction, things were different.”
Lady Zetland also said she had seen no signs to tell her that there was a contraflow in operation.
The trial continues.