A daffodil picker narrowly avoided a tragic collision with an HGV after a dangerous overtaking manoeuvre.
Alina Grisca crossed onto the wrong side of the A92 while trying to pass a queue of traffic – forcing a lorry coming the other way to slam on the brakes to prevent a head-on crash.
The 31-year-old had been in a hurry due to learning one of her children was unwell, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told.
But Grisca, who had been in the north-east with her partner to pick flowers, has now been banned from the road after admitting dangerous driving.
Fiscal depute Tom Procter said the incident happened around 5.30pm on March 31 last year on the A92 near Glashendrum House, Kinneff.
Both vehicles were forced to brake harshly
He said the HGV driver was approaching a right-hand bend passing a stream of traffic going the other way when he saw Grisca’s vehicle coming towards him on his side of the road.
Mr Procter said: “The HGV driver had to immediately release the accelerator and brake harshly and tried to alert the accused to his presence.
“The accused pulled back onto the correct side of the road, swerving into the line of traffic and having to brake harshly to avoid a collision with the vehicle in front.”
Grisca drove off but was later traced by the police.
‘They were effectively out of their minds with worry’
Appearing in the dock, Grisca, of Irby Street, Boston, Lincolnshire, pled guilty to a charge of dangerous driving.
Defence agent Iain Hingston said his client, a Romanian national, was treating the matter “extremely seriously”.
He said: “She and her partner were in Scotland as field workers at this time.
“This is something her partner has done for a number of years.
“She joined him this year for a period picking daffodils for commercial sale with a proper organisation.”
Mr Hingston explained the couple have two children and, on the day in question, had received a call informing them one of the children was particularly unwell.
He said: “They were effectively out of their minds with worry at the time.”
Sheriff Eric Brown fined Grisca £380 and banned her from driving for 12 months.
For all the latest court cases in Aberdeen as well as crime and breaking incidents, join our Facebook group.