French driver admits killing woman in A9 horror smash
A FRENCH driver has admitted causing the death of a woman in a multiple car crash on one of the busiest roads in the Highlands.
France Lautier, 64, was heading north on a trip to Orkney when she inexplicably veered across the A9.
Lautier, who was with her husband and three friends, collided with a Jaguar driven by Alfred Williams, 72, of Thurso, Caithness.
The crash happened around 2pm on June 20 last year after Lautier rounded a righthand bend in her left-hand-drive Ford C-Max at Ramscraigs, two-and-a-half miles south of Dunbeath on the Caithness coast.
Two other vehicles were also involved in the accident.
Mr Williams’ wife Elizabeth, also 72, suffered multiple injuries and died at the scene.
The circumstances surrounding the accident were described by fiscal depute Fraser Matheson at Wick Sheriff Court yesterday.
Local chef David Chretien acted as an intrepreter for the accused, whose English is limited. Lautier and her husband are staying with Mr Chretien at his home in Thrumster, near Wick.
Mr Matheson said the accused veered over the centre white line. He added: ‘As a consequence, the front offside of her vehicle struck the rear offside of Mr Williams’ Jaguar.’
The collision, in the southbound carriageway, was confirmed by witness accounts and by subsequent examination of the crash scene by police.
The front offside tyre of the accused’s vehicle was damaged, causing it to deflate immediately, and her car came to a halt. The impact of the crash caused the Jaguar to rotate in a clockwise direction and its front offside hit the back of a red Volkswagen Golf travelling behind Lautier.
The Jaguar travelled across the road and struck a stone wall. A silver Volkswagen Golf behind the Golf was unable to avoid colliding with the Jaguar’s nearside .
Mr Matheson said Mrs Williams, who was wearing her seat belt, died ‘there and then’ of multiple injuries. He added that although there were multiple vehicles involved, there was no suggestion of any fault by the other drivers. There were no mechanical defects in any of the vehicles involved, the road surface was good and the weather was bright and clear with ‘intermittent spells of light mist’.
Mr Matheson said: ‘There was no suggestion
‘There appears to be no explanation’
of excessive speed on the part of any of the drivers involved in the collision.
‘The accused was interviewed by police in the early hours of the following morning, with the assistance of an interpreter. On the basis of the available evidence, there appears to be no explanation for Lautier’s failure to keep her vehicle in its own lane.’
Sheriff Andrew Berry, who saw a victim statement report prepared by Mrs Williams’ daughter, deferred sentence until today for a social work report on Lautier. Her bail was continued and she was made subject to an interim driving disqualification.
Lautier had originally pleaded not guilty – but a plea change was agreed earlier this month. She then pleaded guilty on indictment to having caused Mrs Williams’ death by driving carelessly and crossing the centre of the road into the opposite carriageway.