Alloa & Hillfoots Advertiser | News | Young driver could have been added to death toll

Sunday, 7th September, 2008

Published: Wednesday, 11th June, 2008 12:00

Young driver could have been added to death toll

By Court Reporter

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Sheriff David Mackie warned Hogg to take more care on the roads.

Pic by: David Robertson

A SHERIFF has warned a Tullibody teenager to take more care on the roads – or risk adding his own life to the tragic death toll of irresponsible young drivers.

Jamie Hogg (19), of Glenochil Park, was fined £270 and had four penalty points added to his licence after he admitted driving carelessly by overtaking another vehicle in the face of oncoming traffic.

Alloa Sheriff Court heard on Thursday that a marked police car travelling in the opposite direction had to take evasive action to avoid colliding with Hogg’s car on the A91 on 30 April last year.

Fiscal depute Keri Marshall told the court that police officers were on mobile patrol and as they approached Alva they could see that another car coming in the opposite direction had begun to overtake two cars.

However, they realised that the driver wouldn’t be able to complete the manoeuvre in time and the police officer driving had to break sharply and pull over to allow the other car, which was being driven by Hogg, to return safely to its lane.

Defence agent Robert Smith said that Hogg was driving his girlfriend home and was heading in the direction of Tillicoultry, but added that there was only one vehicle in front of Hogg when he indicated to overtake.

Mr Smith went on, “My client realises that it wasn’t an appropriate time to overtake when he started the manoeuvre but he thought he had enough time to complete it.

“He accepts that he only just had sufficient time to pull in and didn’t realise it was a police vehicle coming towards him.

“He stopped when he saw the police behind him and fully co-operated with officers.”

Sheriff David Mackie told Hogg, “Young men like you kill themselves regularly on the roads, and I am not being facetious by saying that – you only have to look at the newspapers.

“Two young men died recently doing exactly what you were doing and killed their girlfriends as well.

“I hope you take this to heart when you are driving in the future.”

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