Death crash ‘wake-up call’ to dual killer road
A HEAD-ON crash that killed five people should be a ‘wake-up call’ for the Scottish Government to improve safety on one of the country’s deadliest roads, campaigners say.
The fatal accident took place on the busy A96 between Inverness and Aberdeen in July 2018 after a minibus driven by an Italian tourist crossed to the wrong side of the road and hit an oncoming car.
Coastguard Alberto Ciocioca, 50, was later extradited to stand trial for causing death by dangerous driving but was subsequently convicted of the less serious charge of causing death by careless driving.
He is remanded and due to be sentenced at the High Court in Livingston on Tuesday.
Campaigners said last night that the collision could not have happened if plans drawn up more than a decade ago to make the entire length of the A96 dual carriageway had been given greater priority.
Scottish Conservative transport spokesman Graham Simpson said: ‘Lives are continuing to be put at risk by the SNP’s failures to ensure stretches of the A96 like this are fully dualled.’
Liam Kerr, Conservative MSP for the North East region, added: ‘It’s high time they concentrated on getting spades into the ground to make lifesaving upgrades to the A96.’ The people who died in the car – Audrey Appleby, Evalyn Collie and Ted Reid – were returning from a line dancing event. Driver Morag Smith was seriously injured.
Ciociola’s four-year-old son Lorenzo and Frances Saliba died in the minibus. Mrs Saliba’s husband Francesco Patane also sustained serious injuries.
Ciociola’s wife Concetta Passanisi was seriously hurt, but their threeyear-old son Frederico escaped with minor injuries.
The SNP Government declined to comment on the dualling delays, referring inquiries to Transport Scotland. A Transport Scotland spokesman insisted that it remained the Scottish Government’s commitment to fully dual the A96 between Inverness and Aberdeen.
The spokesman said: ‘A report on the public consultation will be published by the end of the year.’