Woman who caused fatal crash after ‘momentary lapse’ escapes jail term

A MOTHER-of-two whose “momentary lapse” caused a fatal smash in which she lost control of her people carrier and ploughed into a car being driven by a teacher avoided a jail sentence yesterday.

Jacqueline Davidson, 48, was driving home from a children’s go-kart party when her Volvo 4x4 collided almost head on with primary school teacher Lorna Grant’s Renault Clio on the A92 between the Five Roads and Forgan roundabouts near Cupar.

Miss Grant, 34, who taught at Fintry Primary School in Dundee, had to be cut from the wreckage by firefighters in an operation that took more than an hour. She never regained consciousness and died after being airlifted to hospital. Five children were in the Volvo, including several pupils from top Scottish independent school, The High School of Dundee. Two nine-year-old boys were severely injured.

One of them spent ten days on a ventilator in intensive care, during which time he contracted pneumonia. He lost motor function and still suffers “brain fatigue”. The other suffered a fractured lower spine, and was in a brace for nine weeks.

Davidson, a Luxembourg national who worked for her optician husband as a receptionist, was also injured.

At Cupar Sheriff Court, she was sentenced to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work in the community, and banned from driving for 45 months.

Ian Duguid, QC, defending, said Davidson had been “tortured” by what had happened

He said tests suggested two possible explanations. One was that she might have suffered an epileptic fit. The second was that she was taking prescribed anti-depressants, which might have combined to cause a blackout.