Court proceedings will begin next month as part of an inquiry into the death of a Highland nursery teacher who was killed by a lorry on the A82 near Drumnadrochit.
Chloe Morrison was flung 35 metres along the road when a metal beam protruded from the truck over a footpath, fatally striking her back as she was walking with her mum.
The 26-year-old’s leg was also run over by the driver, John O’Donnell, who was convicted of causing her death at Kerrowdown by careless driving on October 25 2019.
During the trial at the High Court in Inverness, O’Donnell had denied responsibility for failing to observe that the stabilising outriggers of his low loader lorry were unsecured.
On April 18, Inverness Sheriff Court will hold a preliminary hearing after a Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) into the tragedy was launched by the Crown Office.
FAI due to ‘significant public concern’ about Chloe’s death
Procurator Fiscal Andy Shanks, who leads death investigations for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has since issued an update on the process.
He said: “The tragic death of Chloe Morrison occurred in circumstances giving rise to significant public concern and as such a discretionary Fatal Accident Inquiry will be held.
“The lodging of the First Notice enables FAI proceedings to commence under the direction of the Sheriff.
“Chloe’s family will continue to be kept informed of significant developments as court proceedings progress.”
Next month’s preliminary hearing, which could be one of many, will decide the scope and timeline of the probe.
It will also identify any potential witnesses who may be called to give evidence during proceedings in the future.
When the case eventually calls for evidence to be heard by a sheriff, the focus will be on the company Glenevin Limited, which owned the lorry that killed Ms Morrison.
The FAI will investigate arrangements at the firm, including the use of lorry-mounted cranes by drivers who were not qualified to do so, and the use of the outrigger legs by the Scania vehicle between the time when it left the business premises at Old Meldrum and the catastrophic accident.
Findings of the inquiry – to be published in a final report called the determination – may also consider wider industry practice.
That could include the use of vehicles like the Scania lorry by unqualified drivers, the regulation of retrofitting ‘stabiliser not stowed’ warning systems, and the number of vehicles without such systems that are currently operating on the roads.
The determination might identify any precautions that could have been taken to prevent Ms Morrison’s death and potential defects in working systems that may have contributed to her horrific loss of life.
Recommendations for future changes could also be made by the sheriff.
Grieving family slammed sentence as being ‘like losing our daughter for the second time’
A six-day trial in the Highland capital led to a jury convicting John O’Donnell, then aged 53, of causing the death by careless driving.
O’Donnell, of Crossover Road in Inverurie, had originally been charged with the more serious offence of causing death by dangerous driving but the jury’s guilty verdict downgraded his crime.
At his sentencing in October 2022, he was spared jail and ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work as well as being banned from driving for 12 months.
Chloe Morrison’s family said they were “insulted” by the sentence and later launched civil legal action.
Speaking at the time, Chloe’s father, Robert Morrison, said the decision “caused a pain like losing our daughter for the second time”.
For all the latest court cases in Inverness as well as crime and breaking incidents, join our Facebook group.