A driver who caused a head-on collision where another motorist was rushed to hospital can’t recall anything about the incident.
Paul Afriyie, 47, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he admitted driving in a dangerous manner and causing a serious accident as he drove near Dinnet in Aberdeenshire last year.
The court heard how other road users had reported Afriyie’s erratic driving to police only moments before he ploughed into a couple in a van.
One victim was so badly injured he was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary where he was kept in the high-dependency unit.
Afriyie was working as a driver for a removals company at the time of the incident.
Accused’s vehicle was ‘swerving across road’
Fiscal depute Dylan Middleton told the court that at around 3.45pm on March 22 2022, police received a call from a member of the public reporting that a motorist was driving erratically between Aboyne and Dinnet.
Police officers thereafter attended and carried out a search for the vehicle.
“At approximately 4.30pm, a witness was driving at the locus when she observed the accused’s vehicle in front of her,” Mr Middleton said.
“She observed the accused’s vehicle swerving across the road.
“The accused crossed the central white line and entered the opposing carriageway, in the face of oncoming traffic.
“The witness became very concerned by the erratic manner of driving and used her horn and lights to try and attract the accused’s attention.
“The accused returned to the centre of the road at that time.
“However, his manner of driving continued and he drove across the central white line and entered the opposing carriageway again.”
At the same time, a couple were driving their van along the same road, with another van being driven behind them.
Afriyie’s vehicle once more strayed over the white central line into the opposing carriageway.
Three vehicle crash
The driver of the first van tried to take evasive action to prevent a collision but had no time to react and the two vehicles crashed into each other head-on.
Afriyie’s van carried on and crashed into the second van.
The cars behind these vehicles were also forced to take evasive action to avoid colliding with Afriyie’s van.
Both Afriyie’s van and the first van he crashed into suffered extensive frontal damage.
The van was so badly damaged that the couple inside were unable to exit through the side doors and had to climb through the rear.
Paramedics attended and Afriyie and the 61-year-old male who was driving the first van were taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
The man was kept in the high-dependency unit for 24 hours after he was found to have suffered a sternal body fracture.
Afriyie had sustained bruising and swelling and was discharged the following day.
In the dock, Afriyie pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
‘No suggestion of intoxication’
Defence solicitor Ian Woodward-Nutt told the court that his client suffered from a cardiac condition and had been driving from Aberdeen to Ballater prior to the accident.
“Mr Afriyie had just started work and for unknown reasons can remember little or nothing that led up to the accident,” the solicitor said.
“He also has no recollection of what happened after the collision and can only remember things after he was admitted to hospital.”
Mr Woodward-Nutt stated that Afriyie had provided a roadside breath test which was negative, adding that there was “no suggestion of intoxication or speeding” on his client’s part.
“He deeply regrets causing this accident and he is relieved that the consequences were not more serious,” Mr Woodward-Nutt said.
Sheriff Gareth Jones told Afriyie that his offence was serious “not least because it caused injury to the other driver”.
“There’s a risk to other road users from your driving, but that said you pled guilty at the earliest opportunity, and you have expressed a degree of remorse.”
Sheriff Jones disqualified Afriyie, of Willowpark Place, Aberdeen, from driving for two years.
He also made Afriyie subject to a community payback order and ordered him to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.
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