Bridge crash death was ‘avoidable

The death of a plumber in a road accident could have been avoided if the bridge parapet he struck had conformed to modern standards, a sheriff has ruled.

David Bowes, 46, drowned on 2 February, 2010, after his vehicle slid off the A838 at the Kyle of Tongue causeway in Sutherland and plunged into the water below.

Sheriff David Sutherland said that Mr Bowes would probably have escaped with minor injuries if the parapet had been replaced at an earlier stage.

The sheriff highlighted an “inordinate delay” by Highland Council in implementing a 2005 recommendation that the bridge parapets be urgently replaced. He also found that the council had stopped carrying out twice-yearly checks on the bridge prior to the crash.

“This was a tragic accident which could have been avoided,” he said.