Death crash driver was ‘distracted by buzzard’

A MOTORIST who overtook on a blind bend, causing a head-on crash in which a teacher was killed, claimed he was distracted by a buzzard.

Clifford Dickson was convicted at the High Court in Glasgow yesterday of causing the death of 55-year-old Christine Beard by dangerous driving.

The collision took place on the A816 Lochgilphead to Oban road at about 1pm on 12 August 2010.

Dickson, 68, who has been driving for 48 years, admitted he was on the wrong side of the road as he approached the blind crest in his Kia Sportrak 4x4, but denied he had been overtaking.

The court heard that seconds after Dickson pulled out he hit a red Subaru, in which Mrs Beard was a back seat passenger.

Beverley White, who was driving her Vauxhall Zafira in front of Dickson said she believed he was trying to overtake her.

She was asked by advocate depute Stephen O’Rourke, prosecuting, if she had seen any animals or birds at the side of the road and replied: “No.”

The court heard her husband Bryan, a keen bird-watcher, who had a pair of binoculars in the front passenger footwell, had seen no birds.

Dickson, a retired stonemason, told the court: “There is a blind crest with double white lines. You would need to be stupid to overtake in a place like that.”

He said that he saw something at the side of the road rise up towards his windscreen and added: “I thought this thing was going to crash into my windscreen. I put my hand up to try and prevent the glass showering me.

“I was thinking why is the brake not working and then I realised I’d put my foot on the accelerator.”

He added: “The next thing I saw was a red Subaru which appeared in front of me. There was nothing I could do.”

The jury did not believe his story about the buzzard and found him guilty by a majority verdict. Sentence was deferred until next month.