News / Failed to report accident
A STUDENT from Lerwick who failed to report an accident after his car went off the road in the early hours of the morning has been fined £400 and given eight penalty points.
Lerwick Sheriff Court heard on Wednesday that (name and address removed under the right to be forgotten) and his friend started walking from the scene of the crash near the South Nesting junction back to Lerwick in icy conditions after the accident.
The 26 year old admitted being the driver of a car which collided with roadside fencing on the A970 on 13 November and failing to report the accident.
Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie said the vehicle was discovered at around 9.45am, with the police carrying out enquiries into its owner.
Officers were unable to trace (name removed) until he attended Lerwick Police Station himself at around 6pm.
Defence agent Tommy Allan said his client had been driving around with a friend while enjoying conversation before the accident occurred at around 3am in icy weather.
He said the pair started to walk into town but no cars passed them by, and when they reached the junction into Stromfirth and Whiteness they decided to head there instead as they had friends in Stromfirth.
Allan said they were unable to call the police as (name removed) phone did not work, and they went straight to sleep when they arrived at the house instead of raising the accident because they were tired.
Sheriff Cruickshank said people must report accidents “at the first and earliest opportunity”.
He said giving (name removed) eight penalty points left him “perilously close” to the 12-point driving ban threshold as he already had three points.
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