NO REMORSE
Father’s fury as OAP golfer who ran over son and left him in street is allowed to keep licence ..AnD HASn’T SAID SORRY
THE dad of a schoolboy hitand-run victim blasted a sheriff yesterday after the OAP driver was allowed to keep her licence.
The father was left furious when Muriel McPherson, 79, was allowed to stay the behind the wheel despite fleeing after running over his 13-year-old son, who cannot be identified.
The 46-year-old machinery worker claimed McPherson has never said sorry for leaving the boy injured.
She left the scene and made her way to her golf club for an early morning tee time.
The boy was rushed to hospital following the incident in August 2020. His dad revealed he still suffers from post-traumatic stress caused from being hit by McPherson’s car in Perth.
The town’s sheriff court heard how the pensioner watched the boy bounce off the bonnet of her vehicle and land on the street in front of her.
She then failed to pull over and headed for Blairgowrie Golf Club. McPherson told the court she knew she’d struck the boy but “panicked” and fled.
Sheriff Francis Gill imposed a £400 fine and six penalty points after McPherson admitted careless driving.
The victim’s dad said: “This isn’t a good enough sentence.
This is nothing. She should have her licence taken away and banned from the road.
“He had injuries to his back, his arm and his side. He is lucky it wasn’t more serious for him.
“But he was scared to go out for a long time after being hit. He didn’t like being in the street and around traffic.
“He’s needed counselling to help get over it. He was terrible for a while.
“But this woman has never even said sorry for what happened. I don’t think she actually believes she was at fault.”
McPherson was driving a Volkswagen Polo and failed to stop when she hit the boy, now 15, in the Tulloch area just before 7.30am. He was on his way to school when the driver failed to slow for a red light and was knocked over.
Prosecutor Stuart Hamilton said: “She collided with the complainer, throwing him on to the bonnet and then up into the air.
“He landed about three metres in front of the car.”
The court heard the boy then “jumped to his feet” and ran on to the pavement.
Hamilton added: “The accused failed to stop ... Members of the fire service attended to the complainer who was seen to have a deep laceration on his right arm. It was established that the accused had been due to play at Blairgowrie Golf Club.
“She was traced at the club, sitting outside in her car. The accused was observed to be very shaken and said she had stopped to compose herself.
“She could not give a reason why she had not stopped after the collision.”
Hamilton said the teenager had a four-inch cut to his arm and was taken to Ninewells.
He added: “Doctors intimated he may have bruising to his kidneys. However, he has made a full recovery.”
The court was told a personal injury claim has already been settled.