A man has been allowed to keep his licence despite causing a crash that left a tractor driver trapped by metal poles.
Michael Balchan carelessly drove his truck into the back of the tractor on the A96 Huntly to Keith road on May 13.
As a result of the impact long metal poles, which were lying in the back of his flatbed truck, were dislodged and sent crashing through the tractor’s cab window.
Mark Wallis, who was cutting the grass at the roadside at the time, was thrown forward and hit by the poles, which pinned him to the front of the vehicle as he worked.
He suffered some breathing problems, and was later taken to Turner Memorial Hospital in Keith with minor injuries.
Yesterday, Balchan appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court to be sentenced having previously admitted driving carelessly on the A96 at Cairnie, near Huntly.
The 41-year-old accepted he had failed to observe warning signs, flashing warning beacons and strobe lights, as well as an arrow directing him to move into the offside lane as he approached the red and black tractor.
He made no attempt to brake or move across to pass the vehicle, and drove into the back of it – causing the rear end of his own Mercedes Sprinter to lift off the carriageway.
The charge states the impact threw Mr Willis forward to the front of his cab, and that he was hit by the metal poles as they smashed through his rear and front windows. They pinned him into the cab and restricted his breathing.
Balchan, of 14 Whitelaw Crescent, Nairn, pleaded guilty to the charge by letter at an earlier hearing.
Yesterday Sheriff William Taylor imposed six penalty points on his licence and fined him £500. He already had three points on his licence.
Police, fire and ambulance crews were called to the crash, which happened on the westbound carriageway of the busy A96 at about 1pm.
Three fire appliances from Keith, Huntly and Aberchirder attended and crews helped police officers make the road safe.
Balchan was driving a van belonging to refrigerator and air conditioning firm Climate Centre at the time of the incident.