Speeding driver trying to catch up with a friend killed pensioner in head-on smash

a SPEEDING driver yesterday admitted causing the death of a pensioner by driving dangerously while overtaking two vehicles on the approach to a corner on a country road.

James Hilton, 24, crossed onto the other carriageway when it was not safe and was involved in a head-on crash with a Ford Fiesta travelling in the opposite direction.

He was trying to catch up with a friend who was travelling in another car ahead of him on the a920 when the tragedy happened on March 7, 2015.

Patrick Pirie was travelling home from a farmers’ mart in nearby Huntly when he was seriously injured in the collision. The grandfather was taken to Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin for treatment but died as a result of chest injuries shortly afterwards.

Hilton, of aberdeen, who had been visiting his own grandfather at a hospital in aberlour shortly before the collision, was charged with causing 81-year-old Mr Pirie’s death by driving dangerously at excessive speed for the road conditions and accepted responsibility for the crime.

at the High Court in aberdeen, advocate depute William Mcvicar said Hilton overtook two vehicles at speed and carried out this manoeuvre when he had ‘insufficient view of oncoming vehicles’.

He told the court that a witness, Robert McHugh, ‘saw the approach of the Ford Fiesta motor vehicle driven by the deceased Patrick Pirie, which he states was on the correct side of the road and was not giving any cause for concern.

‘as the deceased’s vehicle passed, Mr McHugh looked in his mirror and saw a white car coming towards the deceased’s car. The two vehicles collided head-on, there was a cloud of dust and the deceased’s vehicle was raised in the air.’

Mr Pirie was taken to hospital by ambulance and pronounced dead at 5.45pm that day. Hilton, from aberdeen, suffered a fractured pelvis and elbow.

His lawyer Tony Lenehan said: ‘The enormity of the harm that he has done is in no way lost upon Mr Hilton and he implores me to extend his apologies to those who have most greatly been affected by it.’

Sentence was deferred until May 16.