4 hours Ago By Jenni Gee
A driver who miraculously survived a three-vehicle crash on the A9 in Sutherland has been fined almost £3,000 for causing the collision. Kevin Whitehead crossed the centre lines of the road as he negotiated a bend, crashing into two vans coming in the opposite direction. The crash left a passenger from one van with a broken sternum, while Whitehead himself suffered a bleed on the brain.
Whitehead, 38, had initially denied a charge of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. But following the first day of evidence, a plea of guilty to the lesser charge of causing serious injury by careless driving was accepted by the prosecution. Fiscal depute Emily Hood told Sheriff Gary Aitken that it was around 7.
40am when two white vans were travelling south on the A9 just south of the village of Portgower. “At this time, the accused was travelling northbound and was negotiating a sweeping right-hand bend when he has cut the corner and collided with the front and offside of a white Vauxhall Vivaro,” she said. Head-on collision Ms Hood said that Whitehead’s car then collided “head-on” with a Mercedes Sprinter causing “substantial damage” to both vehicles.
The court heard that Whitehead sustained a head injury in the crash and was observed by witnesses to be “slipping in and out of consciousness”. Despite this, he climbed from his vehicle and was assisted to a grass verge before being taken to hospital where he received treatment for a “bilateral bleed on the brain” He was later spoken to by police and confirmed he had been driving the car. Ms Hood said a passenger from the second van was treated for a sternal fracture, before being discharged with a prescription for pain relief.
Solicitor Graham Mann, for Whitehead, said his client had “absolutely no recollection of what took place.” He said: “He doesn’t have recollection of a period of time before and that is quite common with head injuries.” Mr Mann said that Whitehead was “the most seriously injured” in the incident and said: “He was fortunate that he didn’t suffer injury that had a more lasting effect on him” He continued: “He has accepted in this case his responsibility for his driving.
‘He can’t piece it together’ “Although he can’t piece it together, he accepts entirely that he is responsible. “He didn’t maintain his lane discipline and, as a result, the collision has occurred.” He said his client was currently serving in the military and had an “unremarkable record” as far as discipline is concerned.
He acknowledged that Whitehead’s licence featured three penalty points and said: “With that exception his driving record is good.” Sheriff Gary Aitken told Whitehead: “I have considered the circumstances very carefully – you must appreciate yourself – having heard the fairly graphic evidence from the first witness and seen the photographs of aftermath – that it is frankly a miracle that you are still here at all, and a great relief that although [the van passenger] was severely injured that could have been a great deal worse as well.” He fined Whitehead, of Scalesburn, Wick, £2,875 and banned him from the roads for 16 months.
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