Lanarkshire lorry driver walks free after causing death of husband and wife in road sweeper crash

A lorry driver who caused the death of a husband and wife in a horror road smash has walked free from court[1]. David Scott, 33, failed to spot Mohammed and Shamim Rashid as they sat in queuing traffic on a slip-road near Bellshill, Lanarkshire.
His road sweeper ploughed into the back of their BMW 1 Series which was then forced forward and collided with another car. Emergency services raced to the scene on the A725 in August 2022 and the Rashids, of Bellshill, were rushed to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital[2] in Glasgow[3] for treatment.

Shamim, 66, died hours after arriving at hospital while Mohammed, 70, passed away from his injuries two weeks later. READ MORE: Glasgow homeless mum had to feed kids using kettle in temporary accommodation bathroom[4] READ MORE: Mum killed in Bellshill crash remembered as tributes paid to 'diamond inside and out'[5]

Scott, of Blackwood, Lanarkshire, appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court[6] and admitted causing death by careless driving.

Sheriff John Speir tagged him for six months, placed him under supervision for a year and ordered him to carry out 200 hours unpaid work as a direct alternative to prison. He was also banned from driving for five years. Data recovered from the Rashid's vehicle showed it had begun to brake for the queuing traffic and had then been stopped for two seconds before Scott collided with them.

Depute fiscal Paula Wedlock told the court motorist Jonathon Bisset felt an 'almighty crash' as the Rashid's vehicle was pushed into his. She said: "Jonathon Bisset slowed down and then felt an almighty crash into the back of his car but he didn't see anything behind him before. "Data recovered showed that 4.5 seconds before the first recorded impact, the BMW began braking and was deemed to have stopped two seconds before the first recorded impact.

"David Scott was travelling behind the Rashid's and failed to react to the traffic in front of him and collided with the rear of the BMW driven by Shamim Rashid which collided with the vehicle driven by Mr Bisset." She added: "The road traffic collision was the cause of the deaths of Mr and Mrs Rashid." The court was told Scott returned negative tests for alcohol and drugs.

John Scullion KC, defending, said: "Nothing said on Mr Scott's behalf could ever alleviate the pain and suffering the family have had to endure since August 2022 and continue to suffer. "He hopes that they might find some solace in his acceptance of responsibility for the collision and since the day of the collision he has displayed remorse which is both genuine and profound." Scullion said Scott had shown a level of remorse he had 'rarely seen' and urged the sheriff to impose a direct alternative to custody for the incident which he claimed had been caused by 'momentary inattention'.

Sheriff Speir said he had read 'heart-wrenching' victim impact statements from the couple's daughters. He added: "I'm unable to agree that the collision was caused by momentary inattention rather there were significant shortcomings in the standard of your driving. "You have expressed genuine remorse and empathy for the harm caused to Mr and Mrs Rashid's loved ones and you are living with what you have done and will for the rest of your life.

"I'm persuaded that there is an appropriate way of dealing with you without a custodial sentence but it should not take away from the serious impact that your driving has caused."

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References

1. ^ court (www.glasgowlive.co.uk)
2. ^ Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (www.glasgowlive.co.uk)
3. ^ Glasgow (www.glasgowlive.co.uk)
4. ^ Glasgow homeless mum had to feed kids using kettle in temporary accommodation bathroom (www.glasgowlive.co.uk)
5. ^ Mum killed in Bellshill crash remembered as tributes paid to 'diamond inside and out' (www.glasgowlive.co.uk)
6. ^ Sheriff Court (www.glasgowlive.co.uk)
7. ^ Glasgow Live's WhatsApp community here (www.glasgowlive.co.uk)
8. ^ newsletter here (www.glasgowlive.co.uk)