German holidaymaker caused crash at notorious A9 Ralia junction
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A German painter decorator who was on holiday in the Highlands seriously injured another group of tourists when he tried to turn into a notorious junction on the A9 and collided with their vehicle.
The crash happened on August 5, last year, on the A9 near to the Ralia junction.
Gunter Schmieg, (59), from Wettringen in Bavaria appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court to admit causing serious injury to three women, including injuring his own wife, by dangerous driving.
With the aid of an interpreter, Schmieg, who had also been accompanied by his two sons, heard fiscal depute Pauline Gair retell the events of that afternoon.
She said another family were in a Jaguar XF travelling north to spend a week in rented accommodation in North Kessock and were approaching the turn-off while travelling about 55mph.
Mrs Gair told the court: "The accused stopped in the turning lane but turned into the path of the oncoming Jaguar which braked and swerved to the left but could not avoid a collision.
"The accused's Crossland was spinning on the road."
Two women in the Jaguar were badly injured and initially it was thought one had life-threatening injuries, Mrs Gair added.
One had a perforated bowel which needed an emergency operation and follow up surgery and was discharged after 10 days.
The other woman suffered spinal and rib fractures and was discharged after two days.
Schmieg's wife also suffered a spinal injury but was released the day after the collision.
Defending, Patrick O'Dea said his client ‘offered his apologies for the catastrophic repercussions to his actions’.
He told the court: “There was no confusion in what he was doing at the junction, he simply did not see the oncoming vehicle.
"He will never forgive himself and is still upset about the injuries he caused."
Sheriff Gary Aitken fined Schmieg £1875 and banned him from driving in the UK for three years.
He told him: "It is fortunate the consequences, as bad as they were, were not worse.
“It is an extremely unfortunate fact of life that this court often has to deal with holidaymakers who find themselves in difficulties on our roads.
"The physical consequences have been significant to say the least and the on-going consequences for the other two women remain very serious.
“This could easily have resulted in a death or deaths."
