A lorry driver has been allowed to keep his licence despite “nodding off” at the wheel and crashing into another HGV on the A90.
David Grieve, 65, fell asleep “momentarily” as he drove along the route near its junction with the A937 to Marykirk in the early hours of the morning.
But as he drifted off to sleep, so too did his truck – which collided with another HGV parked in a layby.
Fiscal depute Ryan Diamond told Aberdeen Sheriff Court the driver of the other lorry had been asleep in the cab of his vehicle when the collision occurred, at around 3.50am on September 29 2019.
‘It seems he momentarily nodded off’
Mr Diamond said: “He was awoken by a loud bang and felt the cab of his vehicle shaking violently.
“He immediately exited the vehicle and saw damage to it and debris covering the lane.”
The police were contacted and traced Grieve who made “spontaneous admissions” to having been involved in a collision and that it “was due to him having fallen asleep while driving his vehicle”.
Grieve, of Braehead Road, Kildrum, pled guilty to a charge of careless driving.
Defence agent Kevin Brady said his client had been working long hours as a lorry driver at the time.
‘No intention of driving such a vehicle again’
“He suggested to the police this is what happened – he momentarily fell asleep,” he said.
“It seems he momentarily nodded off.
“It wasn’t a case of driving any sort of distance while unconscious.”
Mr Brady said Grieve stopped in a nearby layby following the collision.
“He presumed he’d hit a sign at some point,” Mr Brady said. “He didn’t believe he’d struck another vehicle.”
The only damage to Grieve’s truck appeared to be a missing wing mirror and he decided to continue to the depot and report the matter then.
Since the incident, Grieve changed his employment and is now working as a mechanic.
He has “no intention of driving such a vehicle again”.
Sheriff Andrew Miller told Grieve: “I accept that, as explained by Mr Brady on your behalf, this incident resulted from a momentary lapse in your control of your vehicle having regard to the time in the morning.”
He fined Grieve £320 and handed him three penalty points.
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