Driver who killed OAP gets 3 years
Trucker jailed for horror head-on crash
BY WILMA RILEY A LORRY driver who caused the death of a gran in a head-on crash was yesterday jailed for three years.
Dad-of-three John Dale, 43, of Greenock, was told by judge Lord Mulholland he had “shattered the lives” of 67-year-old Mary Fulton’s family. He added that victim impact statements from them were “heartwrenching”.
Lord Mulholland banned Dale from driving for 10 years, telling him: “You drove your HGV erratically for 500 metres and 28 seconds. You are entirely to blame.
“You have visited a life sentence of loss and grief on Mary Fulton’s family and you will have to live with that for the rest of your life.”
Dale’s lorry ploughed head-on into Mary’s Skoda Yeti on the A77 near Girvan, Ayrshire, in November 2017.
Seconds earlier, he had clipped another car. Dale admitted causing Mary’s death by dangerous driving.
The High Court in Glasgow heard that Dale’s vehicle had drifted on to the wrong side of the road and people in the car behind him thought he was asleep.
Mary died at the scene of her injuries and the court heard Dale, who has convictions for careless and drink-driving in 2010, went to try to help her.
In November 2017, his “erratic” driving came to the attention of other drivers on the A77. He went on to cross double white lines on to the opposite side of the road.
Dale initially collided with a car driven by an 85-year-old woman.
But the court heard his Mercedes HGV hit Mary’s Skoda seconds later.
The court heard factors such as being asleep or an undiagnosed medical condition had been ruled out.