Courts in Moray: Widow fined for collision on the A96

A WIDOW has admitted forcing an oncoming vehicle to take evasive action on the A96 Keith to Huntly road.

Kathleen Simpson, who's originally from Elgin, appeared at the town's sheriff court o Thursday.

The 77-year-old admitted a single charge of careless driving.

This stated that, at around 2pm on September 26 last year, she had strayed over the double white lines of a single carriageway near Cairnie at an excessive speed for the road conditions.

Her car clipped a vehicle travelling in the opposite direction, causing a degree of damage to its wing mirror and bodywork.

Fiscal Depute Victoria Silver told the court that the other driver believed if they had not swerved there would have been a head-on collision.

Defence solicitor Martin Sinclair stated his client, who lives in Kingswells near Aberdeen, had stopped immediately afterwards and offered to cover the cost of damage.

Mr Sinclair said the incident had occurred during a particularly "difficult week" due to the funeral of a friend since childhood.

The lawyer added his client had been momentarily "distracted" as it had also been the week of what would have been her 54th wedding anniversary.

Sheriff David Sutherland accepted this and issued only three penalty points and a £320 fine.

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