Woman's leg amputated after she was struck by lorry
- Published
The incident was reconstructed as part of the police investigation
A woman needed a life-saving amputation after she was struck by a lorry whose driver was over the alcohol limit.
Erica Campbell's right leg was crushed under the wheels of the HGV in an Inverness street on 12 March 2021.
Inverness Sheriff Court heard surgeons had to remove her injured leg and she now uses a wheelchair.
Driver John MacLeod, 33, has been jailed for three years and banned from driving for seven-and-a-half years.
On Monday, he admitted causing serious injury, permanent disfigurement and permanent impairment to Ms Campbell to the danger of her life by his dangerous driving while under the influence of alcohol.
The court heard MacLeod, from Harris, had been drinking the night before the incident, which occurred at a junction in the Crown area of Inverness, and was still over the legal limit the following lunchtime.
Fiscal depute Shamyla Ghafar said police experts determined that the junction into the narrow one-way Crown Street should only have been navigated by a careful, considerate and professional driver at a speed of 5mph (8km/h).
Experts calculated MacLeod was driving at 8mph.
'Expressed remorse'
Ms Campbell was struck by the lorry's cab before her leg went under its wheels.
Ms Ghafar said: "A witness ran after him to tell him he had hit a woman and he said: 'I never seen her.'"
Defence counsel Lorenzo Alonzi said his client expected to be jailed for the offence.
Mr Alonzi said: "He recognises the consequences of this offence have been immense for Ms Campbell.
"He thinks about this every day. It is a matter of fact that he was over the legal limit after drinking the night before and he ought to have known.
"This was a very narrow junction and difficult to make. His eyes were everywhere but tragically the one place they should have been was missed. But nothing can be said that will come as any consolation for Ms Campbell."
Sheriff Cruickshank told MacLeod: "I accept you have expressed remorse. But this is a case where you drove an HGV at speed for the locus and whilst under the influence.
"The injuries you caused were significant, causing permanent disfigurement, permanent impairment and were life-threatening."