Rally champ grandson facing death charge
Tragedy sparks renewed call for safety action on A77
The grandson of a fourtime Scottish Rally Champion has been charged with killing a mother- of- three.
Logan Gallacher Knox, 19, has been held in connection with the death of 59- year- old Joan Price.
The tragedy on a stretch of the A77 has led this week to renewed calls for action on safety.
Knox, of Girvan, has been remanded in custody on five separate charges.
His late grandfather Drew Gallacher, also of Girvan, was known as the “King of the Scottish forests” and won the championship in 1973, 1978, 1979 and 1980 racing in Ford Escorts and a Vauxhall Chevette.
Knox has been charged with causing trombonist Joan’s death by dangerous driving, being on the road while banned and without a licence, attempting to pervert the course of justice and failing to identify a driver.
A second teenager, John Gribben, 18, of Ayr, has also been charged with causing Joan’s death and attempting to pervert the course of justice.
He was allowed out on bail following an appearance in private at Ayr Sheriff Court on Wednesday.
Meanwhile the Crown Office confirmed a third youth allegedly involved has been set free.
A spokesman said: “The Procurator Fiscal received a report concerning a 17- yearold male, in connection with an incident on the A77 on January 30.
“After full and careful consideration of the facts and circumstances of the case, he was liberated from custody pending further inquiries and did not appear in court.”
We told last week how Joan had been travelling home to Troon last Monday. She died after the accident near the bridge over the River Ayr, which left her Dunaskin Doon Band mate Gillian Kay, 39, hurt.
Gillian, Dunaskin’s solo baritone, is “recovering steadily” in Ayr Hospital.
Logan Knox was due to appear back at court before a sheriff this week.
In June 2015 his Kilmarnock garage- owning father Andrew, then 39, was held by police after his girlfriend Stacey Callaghan, 30, was killed in a road smash in North Yorkshire.
The silver Ford Ka they were travelling in smashed into a telegraph pole.
Ayr residents are calling on safety measures to be introduced at the stretch of road where Joan was killed.
There are no average speed cameras between Whitletts roundabout, Ho l m s t o n roundabout and Bankfield roundabouts despite signs saying so.
The 2.7- mile stretch is a notorious drag strip with little chance of being caught speeding.
Business development manager John Taylor, 68, said: “This has been ongoing for years and it has now unfortunately come to a head very sadly.
“For many years residents said there was something going to happen, and then it did, in February 2011.
“A car going north hit another one and it landed upside down on the grass outside my house in Cloverhill. The people were not badly injured but the other car came right down the embankment, over my road and hit my car.
“Police said that car was doing 60mph when it hit my car.
“I later spoke with the police and John Scott MSP to try and get safety elements such as cameras and barriers as there is nothing.
“They have got to do something now. You have no idea how fast the cars go past at this section, it’s like a Grand Prix circuit and I want to make sure anything that can happen is done.”
Forehill resident Paul Love, 37, said: “There are no cameras on this stretch and I have been concerned about it for two years.
“The main thing that has brought my attention to it is when I am driving back from Glasgow from work.
“Especially at night racers using the two lanes coming off the Whitletts roundabout and they basically race each other to see who gets to the single lane first.
“I have seen the speed some of them hit and some of the stunts they pull, which is really horrific.
“When I came to the Holmston roundabout last week there were two boy racers right behind me.
“When they came off the roundabout heading to the Bankfield they then raced up the hill, again to beat each other to where it becomes one lane.
“Where we live, especially in the summer, the boy racers make some noise which we can hear from home.
“It is ridiculous and needs to stop. It is very difficult for the police as word gets around when the police park up to watch what is going on. When they are there these boys do not do it.”