Chef who caused A9 collision given food for thought by sheriff

Two people were taken to hospital after his van veered across the carriageway

A chef who had been working at an army base in Dingwall caused a collision on the busy A9 resulting in two people being taken to hospital, a court heard.

Kevin Henderson, 53, of Balmoral Gardens, Dundee, was returning to the city after working as a chef at the military base when he swerved his van in the northbound carriageway and it hit the front of an oncoming car with two people in it.

Solicitor Victoria Anderson, defending, conceded that the accident was caused by her client’s “inattention”.

Perth Sheriff Court heard yesterday how the two people in the car were both taken to Ninewells Hospital.

One was treated for bruising and pain to the knee, while the other received medical attention for a cut to the back of the head and bruising.

Depute fiscal Michael Sweeney told the court the accused was travelling south in a Ford transit van when witnesses saw him swerve the vehicle onto the northbound carriageway.

“This caused a collision with Henderson’s vehicle hitting the front of a car and this led to this car spinning around on to the southbound carriageway,” he said.

“Emergency services were called with the injured people taken to Ninewells Hospital.”

Miss Anderson said her client had been travelling home after spending the weekend working as a chef at an army base in Dingwall, but accepted that although he was “familiar” with the road the accident was caused by his “inattention”.

“If my client lost his licence he may lose his job,” she said.

“He was more or less permanently based at the army base at Barry Buddon, near Carnoustie, but this site closes on November 30 and doesn’t open again until mid-January.

Henderson admitted that on November 20 2016 on the A9 Perth to Inverness road, at Blair Atholl, he drove carelessly by swerving a van within a lane and on to the northbound carriageway causing it to collide with a car, whereby both vehicles were damaged and a driver and front-seat passenger were injured.

Sentencing Henderson, Sheriff Lindsay Foulis said: “If one loses concentration on a busy road such as the A9 and drifts on to a lane, causing a collision, the likelihood is it will be a serious one.”

He fined Henderson £500 and imposed seven points on his driving licence.

If one loses concentration on a busy road such as the A9 and drifts on to a lane, causing a collision, the likelihood is it will be a serious one. SHERIFF LINDSAY FOULIS