HIGH COURT IN INVERNESS: Trial starts for lorry driver accused of causing death of nursery teacher
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A 52-year-old lorry driver is standing trial at the High Court in Inverness accused of driving dangerously from the Isle of Skye to Drumnadrochit and causing the death of a pedestrian.
John O'Donnell of The Carriages, Crossover Road, Inverurie denies the offence which occurred on October 25, 2019 at Kerrowdown on Loch Ness side.
He is represented by Tony Graham QC and the jury trial is before Lord Stuart.
Advocate depute David Dickson will present the evidence for the Crown and it is anticipated to last all week.
O'Donnell is accused of being unlicensed and untrained when he unlocked the outrigger legs, and failed to secure and lock them on his lorry loader which was attached to his goods vehicle.
It is alleged they remained so on a journey between Broadford and Kerrowdown and he repeatedly failed to use his side mirrors to see that they were insecure.
He is also accused of failing to see that one nearside leg was protruding outwards on the journey and when he left a lay-by at Invermoriston.
It is further alleged that he narrowly missed an unknown pedestrian in Drumnadrochit, causing the leg to become fully extended and locked, and that he drove at excessive speed.
The indictment concludes that at Kerrowdown, O'Donnell caused the leg of the loader to strike 26-year-old Inverness nursery teacher Chloe Morrison, who was walking on the pavement, and he drove over her leg whereby she was so severely injured that she died.
It is claimed O'Donnell was on bail at the time.
