Driver convicted of killing grandmother
A DRIVER killed a grandmother in a ‘catastrophic’ crash on a notorious accident blackspot near Oban, a court heard last week.
Christopher Taylor ploughed head on into the car of Yvonne Shann after he tried to overtake another vehicle.
Mrs Shann had to be cut free from her Citroen – but never recovered from her injuries and died more than a week later in hospital.
The tragedy occurred on the rural A816 Lochgilphead to Oban road on December 30, 2015. Taylor had a young child in his Peugeot at the time.
The 30-year-old now faces jail after he was found guilty at the High Court in Glasgow on Wednesday January 10 of causing death by careless driving. Taylor, of Rothesay, Isle of Bute, will learn his fate next month.
The High Court heard how the crash happened at night on the ‘twisty and windy’ road. Jurors heard that a driver in front of Taylor ‘knew something was going to happen’ when he went to overtake him.
This motorist feared the worst and ‘held his steering wheel a lot tighter’ as Taylor smashed into Mrs Shann’s car.
The court was told the crash happened in a ‘split second’ and that ‘the noise was terrible’.
It was also heard that Mrs Shann – who lived in Kilninver, south of Oban – could have done nothing to avoid being hit.
The mum-of-three died on January 11 at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley.
Taylor, who stayed in Ardrishaig at the time, accepted being responsible for the accident.
In her closing speech to the jury, prosecutor Jane Farquharson said what happened had been a ‘catastrophic error’ on Taylor’s part.
She added he had not been a ‘careful and competent’ motorist that night.
Taylor had gone on trial accused of causing death by dangerous driving before being convicted of the reduced charge.
Taylor will be sentenced on February 7 in Livingston.
Lord Beckett continued bail and banned him from the road meantime.