Dalmally farmer impaled lorry with bale spike

A DALMALLY farmer has been fined £ 500 for impaling a lorry windscreen with a bale spike.

George MacPherson, 51, of Brackley Farm, Dalmally, admitted driving without due care and attention on the A819 near Cladich on December 9, when his tractor carried a load at its front, obscuring his view of the road and collided with a stationary vehicle, causing it damage.

Procurator fiscal Eoin McGinty told Oban Sheriff Court on Tuesday February 28 that a lorry driver had parked at the side of the road around 5pm, put on its flashing lights and left the cabin.

‘The accused was driving a rather large tractor,’ Mr McGinty said, ‘and in front was a spike bale carrier with a bale raised in front of the cabin.

‘The driver of the tractor did not see the lorry and collided with it, with the spike going through the windscreen and tearing the roof off, leaving much of the bale in the cabin without a roof.’

Defence agent Graham Reid said: ‘Mr MacPherson accepts he has erred in how high he put the bale up. It was partially obscuring his view. It was dark.

‘He thought the road was clear. The lorry was parked on the wrong side of the road. He did not see the lorry. He will not repeat this exercise again, using this mode of transport on a public road.’

Sheriff Ruth Anderson QC said: ‘This could have had catastrophic consequences, had it not been for the timing.’

As well as being fined, eight points were imposed on MacPherson’s driving licence.