US man to stand trial accused of killing grandparents and toddler in A9 crash
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The High Court in Glasgow
An American citizen will stand trial accused of killing two adults and a toddler in a car crash on the A9 at the Slochd.
Paul Gillcrist, 68, allegedly took the lives of Inverness residents David McPherson, 58, Elza McPherson, 54, and two-year-old Harris Cochrane on the A9 north of Carrbridge on July 5 2022.
Court papers state that Gillcrist, of North Carolina, USA, was behind the wheel of a Mercedes CLA which he allegedly drove dangerously.
It is claimed that he failed to maintain control of the vehicle by drifting in and out of lanes as well as into the path of oncoming vehicles.
Gillcrist is said to have required to take evasive action to avoid a collision which resulted in his tyres striking a kerb.
He is claimed to have failed to maintain an adequate space for overtaking which caused a heavy goods vehicle driver to take evasive action to avoid a collision.
Gillcrist is said to have again failed to maintain proper control of the vehicle when he approached Slochd summit.
It is stated that he drove across the road line, mounted a kerb onto the grass verge and collided with a crash barrier.
The charge goes on to say Gillcrist drove across a lane into the path of a Ford Fiesta driven by Mr McPherson.
Gillcrist is said to have collided with the car and with another vehicle driven by a David Clark.
It is claimed that all the vehicles were damaged and Gillcrist’s passenger Kathy Gillcrist was injured.
The charge says Mr McPherson was so severely injured that he died at the scene.
Mrs McPherson died at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, while Harris passed away at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness on July 5.
Gillcrist faces a separate charge of careless driving on the same date at various roads in Edinburgh.
He is claimed to have driven over a kerb and caused a lorry to take evasive action to avoid a collision by allegedly doing an unsafe right turn.
Gillcrist is further stated to have failed to maintain control of the vehicle and veered towards a grass verge, nearly striking a wall.
He pled not guilty yesterday at the High Court in Glasgow to the two charges.
A trial has been fixed for January next year at the High Court in Inverness by Judge Lord Mulholland.
View our fact sheet on court reporting here
References
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