A Highland businessman said he was “lucky to be alive” after an accident near to Abriachan on the A82 Inverness to Drumnadrochit road.
Daniel Simpson, 23, was involved in an accident and is now warning other drivers to slow down on the road described as “the deadliest in the UK”.
Mr Simpson had only learned days before the accident that he was to become a dad for the first time.
Thankfully his wife Augusta had travelled in her own vehicle, after enjoying a coffee with her husband in the city.
Mr Simpson, the owner of TeraBytes computer shop in Dingwall, said he feels it was a “miracle” he is alive.
He was driving a Mitsubishi ASX that he had recently bought and he said he was glad he was in such a safe car.
He is now calling on the authorities to consider imposing a 50mph limit on the section of the road. This, he says, would help on tight corners where there is “no place in which to escape” when an accident happens.
‘It was a miracle’
Escaping the accident, which happened at about 7pm on March 24, with “bruises” and after an overnight stay in the hospital, Mr Simpson said he was keen to start a campaign to have the speed limit reduced.
He said: “I was driving my car, that I had only recently purchased, on a section of road that I know well. I have not been driving long, so I was taking it easy.”
He describes seeing his life flash in front of his eyes, believing that he would be killed in the accident.
“Amazingly both the other man, who was an Amazon delivery driver, and I got out without any major injuries,” he said. “My car window was smashed so I managed to get out. My car has been written off.”
The delivery driver was in a Citroen Despatch Sport van. He said no other cars for a “few solid minutes” following the collision.
Mr Simpson added: “I was speaking gibberish to 999 when another person, a tourist, arrived and helped us. It was awful. The guy was amazing and I gave him my phone and he dealt with getting the police, fire and ambulance out to us.
“We have only been married for six months, and we have just found out that Augusta is pregnant.
“We had three bishops at our wedding, I am sure their prayers for me helped with this miracle.”
‘I didn’t think I would survive’
Mr Simpson has closed his shop for the time being until he feels able to work.
He continued: “I have lived in Drumnadrochit since I was nine, and before that visited my grandparents here. I have heard about accidents on the roads for many years – I feel like I need to do something to make it better for other people.”
Mr Simpson said he believed that a variable speed limit should be introduced, as it has been on other parts of the route.
He added: “I am going to start a campaign to get the speed limit down to 50mph. At the point where the incident happened, I had a choice of crashing into a wall or into a barrier. The speed limit should be reduced.
“I did not think that I was going to survive. My main thing is safety for me, for the community and for my baby.”
The couple’s baby is due in November.
Mr Simpson said that when the fire brigade arrived at the scene, they thought he would be dead, due to where the accident took place.
Mr Simpson thanked the emergency services, and the hospital for his care and support following the accident.
Conversation