A speeding driver was left trapped in his mangled car after running a mum and her toddler off the road in a horror two-car crash.
NHS worker Lee Borthwick was seen driving dangerously on the B742, between Mossblown, South Ayrshire, and Dalrymple, East Ayrshire on November 10, 2023.
He performed a dangerous overtake on the dark country road and veered onto the wrong side of the road, where a mum and her 19-month old daughter were in a car coming towards him.
The woman was forced to swerve to avoid a head-on crash with the 32-year-old father-of-two. The evasive action meant Borthwick struck her car side on and sent her vehicle careering off the road.
The details emerged this week when Borthwick appeared in the dock at Ayr Sheriff Court. He pled guilty to a charge of dangerous driving.
Procurator Fiscal depute Lindzi Bayne told the court the collision took place at 5.10pm in November, when the road was dark and there were no street lights.
She told the court witnesses saw Borthwick’s dangerous driving before the crash.
She said: “They observed a blue Suzuki Swift overtaking on the double solid white lines when it was not appropriate.
“They observed as he began to overtake another witness. The woman then took evasive action and swerved to the nearside to avoid a head-on collision.
“However, he struck the offside of the witness’ vehicle, causing her to swerve off the road into the nearside grass verge, before coming to a stop several yards down the road.
“The accused’s vehicle actually continued rolling some 20 yards. The vehicles suffered extensive damage, and the accused suffered most of the damage.
“He was trapped within his vehicle. The police were contacted, officers arrived and could see both vehicles in position and attended to both the accused and the woman.
“The accused was still trapped in his vehicle. The woman’s 19-month-old daughter was checked by paramedics and found to have no injuries.”
Defence solicitor Ian Gillies said: “He is an NHS worker. He has two children. This is a quiet country road, it is close to where he resides, and he knows the road very well.
“This particular night he was driving and he thought the road was clear as he didn’t see any headlights. He can only be glad neither he nor anybody else was injured in this incident.
“Both the lady and the child in the other vehicle were shaken up. His vehicle was written off. He does accept it could have been much different.”
Sheriff David Pender added: “You know the road well but don’t know not to overtake on double white lines.”
He fined Borthwick £650, reduced from £750 after he submitted a guilty plea.
The sheriff ordered him to pay a £40 victim surcharge. Borthwick will pay the £690 financial penalty at a rate of £50-per-month.
He was also banned from driving for two years.
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