An 89 year old driver caused a crash in Northumberland after failing to stop at a junction, resulting in injuries.
Thomas Smillie, 89, was driving a Vauxhall Corsa, taking his wife and friends on a trip to Cragside when he drove to a crossroads near Alnwick
He drove at 40 mph without slowing down. Another car approached from the left, and despite the other driver’s attempt to avoid a collision, the two cars crashed into the grass.
One passenger suffered a broken ankle, a cut spleen, and head cuts. Smillie was hospitalized with a head cut, while the other driver sustained bruises.
Smillie, a retired bank manager from Glasgow, faced a careless driving charge. Due to health reasons, he was not present in court but pleaded guilty through someone else.
A witness to the crash, which occurred last September while driving on the A697, saw Smillie’s car approaching from the right. The witness noted the car did not slow down.
Traveling between 30 and 40 mph, it went through the junction without stopping, directly into the witness’s path. Another witness corroborated that Smillie caused the crash.
Although Smillie’s friend, who was badly injured in the crash, did not want to press charges. Smillie, who had driven for 55 years with no prior points on his license, made a mistake.
Described as normally a good driver, he has now surrendered his license and will no longer drive. The court fined Smillie £433, ordering him to pay £100 to someone. He pays £85 for costs.
He must also pay a £173 victim fee, and he received six penalty points for careless driving.