The lawyer for a man accused of killing three friends in a crash suggested the tragedy was caused by “mistakes by a number of different people”.
Marin Rachev is on trial at the High Court in Aberdeen accused of causing the death of his three backseat passengers by driving dangerously on March 12 last year.
It is alleged the 35-year-old pulled out on to the A90 Aberdeen to Dundee road from its junction with Drumlithie without giving way, into the path of a bus.
The court has heard that when his red Renault Scenic was struck by the bus, two of his passengers were thrown on to the road and hit by another vehicle.
Rachev denies the dangerous driving charge.
Yesterday, defence counsel Frances Connor told the jury to “carefully consider” the evidence presented by the Crown.
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Ms Connor said: “The case was held in a High Court because it’s a serious charge.
“This case involves a tragic accident, an accident that will will haunt many people for the rest of their lives – an accident that haunts Mr Rachev every day. It is for the Crown to prove the guilt of the person.”
She also asked for the jury of 10 women and five mean to use their “common sense and fairness” before making a “life-changing decision”.
Ms Connor added: “At the end of all of the deliberation, this tragedy was a result of a mistake and, perhaps, mistakes by a number of different people.”
Advocate depute Murdoch MacTaggart said: “Two independent witnesses said it was ‘obvious it would be inevitable a collision was going to happen’.
“If it was obvious to them it should be obvious to Mr Rachev.”
The jury is expected to be sent out to deliberate its verdict on Monday.
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