A mother and her young child were left unconscious after a nurse caused a head-on collision on a city road.
Stacey Taylor fought back tears in court as she apologised for causing the smash on Broughty Ferry Road last August.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard Taylor had drifted onto the opposite side of the road before crashing into the woman’s car.
Head-on crash
The crash happened just before 9pm as a man travelled westwards with a woman and her two young children behind him in another vehicle.
The man watched as Taylor, of Tullideph Road, crossed into the opposite lane and narrowly avoided colliding with him.
Prosecutor Larissa Milligan said: “The man saw the accused’s vehicle colliding with the woman’s vehicle in his rear-view mirror.
“Both vehicles had substantial front-end damage and emergency services were contacted by passers-by.
“Police and emergency services saw both vehicles with airbags deployed.
“The accused identified herself as being the driver.
“She openly stated she was simply not paying attention.”
Taylor, the woman and one of the woman’s children were taken to Ninewells Hospital for treatment.
The older victim recalled seeing first offender Taylor’s car coming towards her before being hit head-on.
The court heard she believed she and her daughter lost consciousness before being roused by a member of the public banging on the car window.
She suffered a sprained right wrist, friction burns to her right arm, a burst nose and lip and swelling on her left knee.
The children sustained whiplash and bruising.
‘I accept you are genuinely apologetic’
Taylor pled guilty driving carelessly on August 11 last year.
The emotional 41-year-old, a community nurse, appeared without legal representation and had written a letter expressing her remorse.
She said: “I’d like to apologise to everyone involved, including the emergency services, the woman and her children.
“My husband has incurable cancer and is getting treatment and I accept I shouldn’t have been driving.
“I wasn’t speeding or under the influence or anything like that – I do apologise.”
Sheriff John Rafferty fined Taylor £666 and placed eight points on her driving licence.
He said: “You are entitled to credit for pleading guilty at this stage.
“I 100% accept what you have told me and you are genuinely apologetic.”
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