Dad of teacher Chloe Morrison killed in lorry tragedy: 'She meant everything to me, I miss her every day'

A heartbroken father has urged politicians to take action and ensure no one else dies in the tragic way his daughter did on a roadside near Loch Ness.

Five years on, a fatal accident inquiry in Inverness is investigating the circumstances of 26-year-old Chloe Morrison’s death.

The nursery teacher was struck by a lorry’s extended stabiliser leg while walking with her mother on a pavement in Drumnadrochit in October 2019.

Her parents were in court for the start of the fatal accident inquiry in Inverness on Wednesday, which was opened and adjourned, to consider what lessons could be learned from the tragedy.

Robert Morrison has urged an appeal of the sentence. Robert Morrison

Robert Morrison, Chloe’s father, said he wants to see safety mechanisms put in lorries of the type that struck his daughter, along with training for drivers so they know what to look out for.

He also wants the government to accept and implement proposals put to them, not just in Scotland but throughout the UK.

Mr Morrison told STV News: “It’s more or less what we have been expecting. We were told it’s not a criminal trial, that the evidence and questioning was going to be low-key.”

Three witnesses gave evidence, including the lorry driver John O’Donnell from Inverurie, who was banned from driving and sentenced to 100 hours’ unpaid work after a trial two years ago.

He denied causing Chloe’s death while driving his lorry from Oldmeldrum in Aberdeenshire to Skye on October 24, 2019.

O’Donnell said he neither extended or touched the controls of the stabilisers’ out-rigger beams.

CCTV footage played in court showed the nearside out-rigger’s yellow warning sign, indicating it was unlocked when he filled up with diesel at a petrol station.

A passenger in a car travelling in the opposite direction saw the out-rigger swing out moments before the tragedy.

Chloe’s parents said they have been overwhelmed by the support of family and others.

Mr Morrison told STV News: “Friends, family, the community in Drumnadrochit, we can’t thank them enough.

Robert Morrison, Chloe Morrison's father. — Robert Morrison, Chloe Morrison’s father. STV News

“Even five years on, people still come up to us, give us big hugs. (They say) ‘We still think about you’. I’m better known as Bobo. (They say) ‘We still think about you, Bobo. We still think about Karen and Jodi. Most of all we still think about Chloe’. It is an enormous help.

“I try and hide my grief as much as I can but it’s not easy. Chloe meant everything to me, she was a darling daughter – so much fun.

“As it was mentioned in court today, people say she was so much like her dad with her wit, etcetera. At times I try to be a normal happy person but days like these the emotions take over unfortunately.

“We’re always thinking about Chloe, we visit her grave every day. Never a day goes by and if for unforeseen circumstances we can’t be there we’ll always ask a friend or another member of the family to visit and say hello.”

The inquiry before Sheriff Ian Cruickshank will resume next month. The sheriff will give his recommendations at a later date.