A 50-year-old driver’s car flipped onto its roof and slid into another vehicle after he fell asleep at the wheel.
Nikolov Momchil appeared at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court to plead guilty to driving his Nissan Micra dangerously on the A915 Standing Stane Road, at Wellsgreen, on August 22 last year.
He admitted falling asleep, allowing his car to drift across the carriageway, narrowly avoiding a collision with oncoming traffic, and striking a grass verge which caused the vehicle to overturn and slide along the road and collide with another car.
Both vehicles were damaged but the only injury was some bruising suffered by Amazon worker Momchil.
Prosecutor Amy Robertson told the court Momchil, of Leven Road, Windygates, was driving behind a queue of traffic past Wellsgreen driving range at around 6.30am.
For reasons unknown, the car began overtaking multiple vehicles in front into the path of oncoming traffic.
The fiscal depute said an oncoming female driver had to bring her car almost to a stop to avoid a head-on collision, then Momchil’s vehicle struck the grass verge causing it to roll onto its roof.
Ms Robertson said it then slid across the road and struck the front of the woman’s car.
The fiscal depute said Momchil identified himself as the driver and told police he had fallen asleep at the wheel and when charged, he replied it was his fault.
Sheriff Robert More banned him from driving for 12 months.
Watched ‘bad things’
A Dundee man caught with hundreds of child abuse images phoned the police and told them he had watched “bad things”. Tommy Craig, 22, freely admitted to officers who later arrested him that he had downloaded the vile material and is now awaiting sentencing.
Crash
Kirkcaldy man Craig Duncan, 38, was four times the drink-drive limit when he crashed into a wall.
Duncan, of Glamis Road, appeared at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court for sentencing having earlier admitted driving with excess alcohol (292mgs/67) on Kinglassie Road, Glenrothes, on August 20 last year.
Prosecutor Amy Robertson told the court Duncan was driving his Ford Focus when a female driver in a Volkswagen Golf passed him in the opposite direction, travelling towards Fife Airport.
The female driver formed the impression he was driving too fast and kept watching in the rear view mirror.
The fiscal depute said: “She saw him mount the grass verge and hit a dry stone wall.”
After returning to check Duncan was not injured, the female driver became suspicious of his demeanour and contacted police.
Officers noted Duncan kept repeating himself and was making little sense.
Duncan also earlier admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner on December 30 last year at an address in Oaktree Square, Kirkcaldy, by acting aggressively, shouting, swearing and repeatedly striking a door and demanding entry.
The fiscal depute said Duncan had been arguing with his partner beforehand.
Defence lawyer Iain McCafferty said Duncan recognises alcohol is a factor in both offences and has taken the first steps to addressing it through support services.
Sheriff Robert More told Duncan that the female driver in his drink-driving incident is “pretty lucky you did not plough straight in to her given your level of intoxication”.
He banned Duncan from driving for three years and placed him on offender supervision for a year, as part of a community payback order.
Choke attacks
A Fife landscaper who choked his partner in two separate attacks has been jailed. The victim of Scott Johnstone‘s terrifying abuse told how she was “worried she would die” in one of the 10-second attacks.
Bang
A university student left a woman seriously injured after pulling out of a junction in Fife.
Tegan George, 21, failed to give way at the A915 at the B940 Peat Inn to Crail road last summer.
A sheriff has disqualified the forensic anthropology student from driving after she pled guilty to causing the smash.
The other woman still suffers pain after suffering a back injury in the collision on June 22 last year, Dundee Sheriff Court heard.
First offender George, of Dundee’s Perth Road was unfamiliar with the area and was on her way to an archaeological dig on the day in question.
Fiscal depute Sarah High said: “The accused stopped briefly at the junction with the A915 and B940 before pulling out in front of the complainer’s vehicle.
“The complainer was unable to avoid a collision with the accused’s vehicle and she struck the front offside of the accused’s car.
“As a result of the collision, the accused’s vehicle rotated 180 degrees.
“The complainer’s vehicle ended up going through a fence and came to a stop in a field.”
Paramedics attended and the roof of the victim’s car had to be cut off for an ambulance crew to reach her.
She was taken to Ninewells Hospital having suffered a fractured vertebrae in her lower back.
George pled guilty to causing serious injury by careless driving on the road, just north of Lathone and she was fined and disqualified from driving for six months.
Finally caught up with fraudster
A fraudster from Dundee has been jailed after going on the run before his trial more than a year ago. A judge issued a warrant for Nazir Daud’s arrest in December 2022 after he was found guilty in his absence at Leicester Crown Court of selling fraudulent franchise licenses to victims across the UK. He was finally arrested in October last year.
Wallop
A Fife driver was left injured after his car left the road and landed on its roof in a field.
The man suffered injuries to his shoulder and neck after his car was struck by driver Charlene Muir on March 15 last year.
First offender Muir, 28, of Cupar Road, Guardbridge, narrowly avoided a driving ban after she admitted driving carelessly near the A91 towards Guardbridge.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard how the collision happened after Muir, an early years practitioner, performed a u-turn into Seggie Drive.
Fiscal depute Sarah High said: “She came back out of the junction and failed to give way.
“She pulled out whilst the complainer was driving along the road and a collision occurred between the two vehicles.”
Mr Mackie sustained injuries to his shoulder and neck along with swelling and pain.
Sheriff Gregor Murray said: “You are lucky the consequences were not more serious.
“In the circumstances – just – I think you are going to be able to carry on driving.”
Muir was fined £675 and six penalty points were imposed on her licence.
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