Wrong side of road trucker admits causing death crash

23 August 2022

A trucker has admitted causing the death of a man and seriously injuring his wife after driving on the wrong side of the road.

Garry Tierney, 46, crashed head-on into a car driven by 86-year-old Matthew Donnell on the A939 at Dava Moor in the Highlands in October 2020.

Mr Donnell died from head injuries. His 81-year-old wife Edith suffered multiple injuries.

Tierney, of Dumbarton, was remanded in custody pending sentencing in October.

He admitted a charge of dangerous driving at the High Court in Glasgow.

On the morning of the incident, Tierney was driving an articulated lorry for Carntyne Transport and was heading south with the tanker of yeast.

The Donnells, of Grantown in the Highlands, were in a black Peugeot 208 heading north.

Prosecutor Chris McKenna said: "The collision was caused by Tierney driving his entire vehicle on the wrong side of the road.

"This resulted in the front offside of his vehicle colliding with the front of the Peugeot."

A couple stopped at the crash scene to see Tierney's lorry "jack-knifed" and the Donnells' wrecked car down an embankment.

Other drivers stopped to help the couple as a 999 call was made.

Mr McKenna said: "A woman briefly checked on the welfare of Tierney.

"He appeared in shock, was shaking and struggling to light his cigarette.

"Her husband was later approached by Tierney, who asked him if he knew what had happened."

'Not speeding'

Edith Donnell - also known as Rose - was freed from the car and rushed to hospital.

Medics initially gave a "poor prognosis" due to fractures to her ribs, spine and chest, but she recovered.

However, the court heard she has dementia and her husband was her main carer.

Mr McKenna said she had been moved to a residential care home as a result.

A police investigation found Tierney was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs and had not been speeding at the time.

Police concluded he would have had "clear views" of the oncoming Peugeot and had "failed to react" before the smash.

The court heard Tierney received six points on his licence in June 2021 - eight months after the crash - for driving without insurance.

Tierney had been on bail before the hearing but he was remanded in custody by judge Lord Arthurson until sentencing in Edinburgh in October.