A drink-driver and his teenage passenger suffered serious injuries when their airborne car slammed into a tree on a remote Perthshire road.
Brendon Nicol lost control of his Vauxhall Corsa when he attempted to overtake on a bend, into the path of oncoming traffic.
Perth Sheriff Court heard how a witness “braced herself” for a collision when she saw the 28-year-old’s vehicle coming towards her on the wrong side of the road.
She next saw it “fly through the air” before colliding with a tree.
Nicol, from Oakley, pled guilty to a charge of causing serious injury to his 19-year-old passenger by careless driving on the B846 near Dull, Aberfeldy, on June 7 2023.
He also admitted being one-and-a-half times the legal alcohol limit.
Car flew through air
Prosecutor Sarah Wilkinson said at the time of the crash, the weather was fair and the road was dry.
Moments before the crash, a motorist and a cyclist were heading west along the B846 at about 11.45am, she said.
“A short time after overtaking the cyclist, the driver began to negotiate a left hand bend.
“At this time, she saw the accused’s vehicle on her side of the road.
“It was overtaking an unidentified black vehicle.
“She braced herself for impact, which did not come.”
The fiscal depute said: “She then observed the subject vehicle flying through the air and then colliding with a tree.”
Emergency services were scrambled to the scene.
“As a result of the collision, the accused landed on top of the complainer,” said Ms Wilkinson.
By the time paramedics arrived, both men had managed to get out of the vehicle.
Drinking vodka
Nicol was rushed to hospital by air ambulance, while his passenger went by road.
“The accused complied with police procedures and provided a positive specimen of breath,” the fiscal depute said.
“Pre-admission blood samples were taken by medics, nearly three hours after the collision.
“These were analysed by police and showed that the accused was 1.46 times the limit when he was driving.”
The reading was 73 mics of alcohol per 100 ml of blood. The legal limit is 50 mics.
The court heard the passenger suffered a broken wrist, which required emergency surgery.
Whilst in hospital, the teenager told police he had been drinking vodka the night before and on the morning of the crash.
It is understood he and Nicol had been drinking together.
“The accused also suffered serious injuries,” said Ms Wilkinson.
Sheriff Alison McKay deferred sentence for background reports and disqualified Nicol from driving in the interim.
She told him: “I note that as a result of this incident you and your friend were injured.
“And I’m sure that it has been explained to you by your solicitor that this is a serious matter.
“The careless driving charge is aggravated by the fact you were under the influence of alcohol while you were driving.
“And in those circumstances, I am not prepared to deal with this matter today.”
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