A motorist left his girlfriend with horrific eye injuries after a terrifying smash at a rural Perthshire accident blackspot.
Aaron Shand ignored a Stop sign at a notorious junction on the A93, near Blairgowrie, and ploughed into an oncoming car.
His passenger Abby Salmon suffered serious head injuries, including a shattered eye socket and torn eye lid.
Shand, 30, appeared at Perth Sheriff Court and admitted a charge of careless driving at the Meikleour crossroad on December 2, 2019.
He was allowed to keep his licence but fined £1,200 and handed seven penalty points.
Failed to stop
Fiscal depute Joanne Ritchie said: “The accused failed to stop at a Stop sign and as a result collided with the other vehicle.
“The accused and his partner were the worst off in terms of injuries.
“His girlfriend suffered a large cut to her face, from her forehead to her left eye.
“She also suffered an injury to her eye lid, which was torn, and she had a fractured eye socket.”
She said Shand broken his right wrist, while the driver of the other car escaped with a cut to the bridge of his nose.
Solicitor George Mathers, representing Shand, said: “He is very ashamed of this and feels guilty for what he did.
“He has clearly had great difficulties coming to terms with his involvement in this matter.
“He has been depressed ever since. His personality has been changed.
“His girlfriend seems to have gotten fed up and she ended the relationship.”
Mr Mathers said a report showed his client was at a “minimal risk” of reoffending.
“He has three points on his driving licence, which he needs for his employment,” he told the court.
Momentary lapse
Shand, of Tornashean Gardens, Aberdeen, pled guilty to driving his black Audi carelessly on the A93, at its junction with the A984 Coupar Angus road.
The charge states he failed to observe a stop sign and collided with the other car, damaging both and causing Ms Salmon serious injuries.
Sheriff Linda Smith told him: “This was a momentary lapse in concentration.
“I take into account the implications of this on your mental health and on your relationship.
“I’m satisfied his can be dealt with without a disqualification.”
The junction, near the well-known Meikleour Beech Hedge, is known locally as an accident blackspot.
Just weeks before the crash, Perth and Kinross Council agreed a series of new safety measures including signs and road markings, designed to calm traffic at the junction.
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