Soldier drove into 4 troops outside base
Barracks crash sparked terror fears
A SOLDIER has admitted mowing down four of his colleagues with his car outside their barracks in what police initially feared was a terror attack. Black Watch troops Dean Tudor, Craig Smith, Alan Bowe and Alan Murray were seriously injured in the smash while out on an early morning training run.
The accident happened at sunrise on January 19 last year as they pounded along a road between their base at Fort George, Inverness-shire, and nearby Ardersier.
Kristofer Smith, 33, had faced a charge of dangerous driving but yesterday pleaded guilty to the reduced charge of careless driving.
His colleagues – soldiers in the Black Watch 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland – had only just left their barracks when Smith’s Volkswagen hatchback ploughed into them on a straight stretch of Old Military Road, Ardersier.
One of the men had to be airlifted to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness, while the other three were taken there in road ambulances. Caused crash: Smith yesterday Though it was thought at first it might have been a terrorist attack, police ruled that out as quickly as possible to reassure the public, describing it as ‘a serious road traffic incident’.
The road was closed for about 90 minutes as police carried out an investigation.
Several pieces of bodywork from Smith’s car were found on the grass verge near the accident scene.
After the police investigations were concluded, Smith, who was unhurt in the accident, was charged with dangerous driving. It was alleged he caused the serious injury of the four soldiers by driving dangerously and at excessive speed for the road conditions, failed to maintain a proper observation of the road in front and collided with and injured the four pedestrians.
However, at Inverness Sheriff Court yesterday, his solicitor, Claire Russell confirmed that Smith, of Inverness, would be pleading guilty to a charge of careless driving.
She said: ‘This was a plea offered earlier but was not accepted by the Crown. However, it is now acceptable.’
Miss Russell then explained to Sheriff David Sutherland that Smith, who has no previous convictions, was due to go abroad next week for seven weeks and asked for sentence to be deferred until his return next month.
The sheriff agreed and called for a background report.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman would only confirm that military personnel had been injured in the incident. An Army spokesman said yesterday: ‘We are aware a soldier appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court today but as the case is still ongoing it would be inappropriate to comment further until it is at a conclusion.’