Driver crossed over line, fatal crash trial told

The minibus driver accused of killing five people on the A96 was braking sharply and driving on to the wrong side of the carriageway while taking bends before the collision, a witness has told a court.

Mary Thomson, 53, was driving back to Fochabers from Aberdeen with her mother when she found herself behind a white minibus that appeared to be full.

The eyewitness, who was travelling behind the driver Alfredo Ciociola, said he would go on to the opposite side of the road before returning to the left side.

She was giving evidence at the trial of Ciociola, who has denied causing the deaths of five people on the A96 during the evening of July 26 2018.

Advocate depute Derick Nelson asked Miss Thomson at the High Court in Edinburgh if there was anything that had given her cause for concern about the driving of the minibus during the journey.

She said: “He would go across the white line and the white line would be underneath the vehicle. He would travel with the line underneath the vehicle.”

Miss Thomson agreed that there were occasions on bends when it was partly on the wrong carriageway, but also occasions when it was on the wrong side altogether.

She said: “Because he was over the road I didn’t want to try to overtake him.”

She passed the minibus at the end of an overtaking lane on a stretch of road between Huntly and Keith.

Ciociola, 50, has pleaded not guilty to a single charge of causing death and serious injury by dangerous driving between Inverurie and Keith and on the Huntly to Keith road near the Drummuir junction.

The Italian national is alleged to have failed to pay proper attention to the road ahead, fallen asleep and repeatedly braked and drove into the opposing carriageway before colliding with a car driven by Morag Smith. Three passengers in her car, Audrey Appleby, Edward Reid and Evalyn Collie, died.

Frances Saliba, 63, a passenger in the Fiat Talento driven by Ciociola, also died along with one of Ciociola’s sons, Lorenzo, aged four.

Mrs Saliba’s husband Francesco Patane, who was a passenger in the minibus, told the jury last week how they had all arrived from Italy earlier that day for a holiday and were on their way to Inverness when the tragedy happened.

Miss Thomson’s mother, Mary Thomson, 75, said: “We speculated he was either falling asleep or too much alcohol. I kept wondering why he didn’t stop and have a rest.”

The trial before Lord Mulholland continues.

Audrey Appleby, Evalyn Collie, Frances Saliba and Edward Reid died in the road tragedy.

SCENE: The fatal crash took place on the A96 between Huntly and Keith.