Drug driver jailed for causing A9 crash by Dalwhinnie which left girl (10) with severe injuries
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A 10 year old girl suffered several fractures and a subsequent personality change after she was seriously injured when a drugged up van driver hit the vehicle she was travelling in on the notorious A9 last year. Another young girl was also injured in the collision between a Citroen and a Renault van being driven on November 11, 2024 by 50 year old Stuart Greig of Main Street, West Calder. He admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving at Cuaich near the junction to Dalwhinnie after he did a dangerous overtake of several vehicles after having taken cocaine, Inverness Sheriff Court heard.
He was jailed for two years. The Citroen driver, Paul Somerville and his passengers including his wife, Carly and several children were trapped in their car and he had to climb out of his window to try and free the others. His wife was nursing the most seriously injured child who was bleeding heavily from a head wound which had partially scalped her.
Mrs Somerville was screaming: "Oh my God, we are going to lose her" as her husband frantically tried to escape the wreckage.
But the doors were jammed shut such was the damage, fiscal depute Pauline Gair told Sheriff Gary Aitken and the emergency services intervened to retrieve the casualties. Greig's vehicle carried on for another half kilometre before stopping with the police thinking he had tried to flee the scene. However his solicitor, Matthew Ferguson said this was not the case as his van was fishtailing and he was trying to regain control to bring it to a safe stop. "It was never his intention to try and avoid taking responsibility for this.
He has a daughter and grandchildren himself."
Mrs Gair said Greig was still on scene when the police arrived but his two passengers were not present. She said: "He told police he moved out to take a look and for some reason lost control." Sheriff Aitken commented to Mr Ferguson: "He should never have been at the wheel at all that day after having stuck cocaine up his nose and then drive exceedingly badly.
"A 10 year old child's life has been ruined. It is a miracle no-one was killed. But the injuries to the child and the mental impact on her and everyone is incalculable.
"There is nothing I or you can do to take that away." Mrs Gair said the most seriously injured girl suffered a fractured skull, a brain bleed, a fractured sternum and spine and other injuries. She spent two days unconscious in an intensive care unit and has experienced a personality change with other mental health problems.
The other girl suffered a broken heel - with the other occupants suffering relatively minor injuries but psychological trauma.
Greig was also banned from driving for seven years and will have to resit the extended driving test of competency before getting back behind the wheel. His lawyer told the court: "He has surrendered his driving licence and does not intend to drive again - maybe never - but at least until his substance misuse is behind him. He has a lot still to do."
ends
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[1]References
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