An American tourist whose “spectacular piece of inattention” caused a three-vehicle smash on the A9 has been banned from the roads for a year.
Christopher Adams turned his hire car into the path of an oncoming van at the Ralia junction, causing it to swerve into the opposite lane and into the path of another car.
Inverness Sheriff Court was told the resulting collision left four people injured, one critically.
After watching dashcam footage of the accident, Sheriff Sara Matheson said: “This is a spectacular piece of inattention to what was happening on the road – this dashcam footage really brings home perfectly to everybody what can happen.”
Watch the moment of the A9 crash
Adams, who lives in North Carolina, was not present at court today as solicitor Natalie Paterson entered a plea of guilty to a charge of causing serious injury by careless driving on his behalf.
Fiscal depute Pauline Gair told the court that Adams, 54, had been enjoying a Highland holiday with his wife and son on July 27 2023 when the crash happened.
She said about 12.45pm, the family were travelling in a rented Nissan Qashqai when Adams indicated to right from the A9 onto the B9150 at the Ralia junction.
“The accused slowed his vehicle as he entered the filter lane provided and put on his right-hand indicator,” Mrs Gair told Sheriff Sara Matheson.
She said that, at the same time, a witness was driving north in a Citroen van, approaching the junction.
“The accused, who was fully within the filter lane, for reasons unknown, has driven forward and entered the northbound lane,” Mrs Gair said.
She added that he had left “insufficient time or distance to complete the manoeuvre”.
The court heard the van then took “evasive action” in an attempt to avoid a collision with Adams’ vehicle, but instead hit an oncoming Audi A6, causing extensive damage to both vehicles.
The Audi came to rest on the nearside verge of the southbound carriageway, while Adams Qashqai and the white Citroen van ended up on the northbound carriageway with “debris strewn across both lanes”, the court heard.
Police and ambulance attended at the scene and Adams identified himself as the driver of the Qashqai. Tests for drug and alcohol were negative.
A9 crash left woman in ‘critical’ condition
One occupant of the Audi suffered a perforated bowel and was placed in a medically induced coma for more than two weeks, with her condition described as “critical but stable” following surgery.
The court heard she also suffered a profound loss of hearing in both ears and has been left in constant pain and needs painkilling medication as a result of the incident.
Another occupant of that vehicle sustained lower back injuries and continues to suffer pain necessitating medication as a result.
The third occupant sustained a lower back injury which had not had any ongoing effect.
The driver of the van suffered a broken hand and broken foot, as well as a dislocated toe and bruised ribs.
Dashcam footage of the incident was played for the court, with Sheriff Matheson asking to see it a second time before passing sentence.
Solicitor Natalie Paterson, for Adams, told the court her client, who lives in North Carolina, had holidayed in the UK on 10 occasions and had rented a vehicle each time with no previous issues.
US driver’s ‘momentary lapse’
She told Sheriff Matheson the incident represented “a momentary lapse in concentration” and added: “He wishes to apologise to all those concerned.”
Sheriff Matheson referenced an “eloquent” victim impact statement from the witness who was most severely injured and noted it was impossible for her sentence to reflect the impact of the incident on those affected.
She fined Adams, of Martha Lane, Chapple Hill, £2,175 and banned him from the UK’s roads for 12 months.
Got a court story you want us to cover?