Driver fell asleep at wheel and crashed car into barrier which injured mum and young daughter in Rutherglen

A driver fell asleep at the wheel and collided with a barrier which injured a mother and her young daughter.

Salvatore Bologna, 47, blamed working an early morning shift for the collision in Rutherglen, Lanarkshire, on June 2 2022.

Bologna “nodded off” as the car to veered towards the barrier when the woman and the 11-year-old were waiting to cross the road.

The mother and daughter were later taken to hospital to be treated for their injuries.

First offender Bologna was shown mercy by a sheriff who did not disqualify him from driving for the offence.

Bologna pled guilty on Friday at Glasgow Sheriff Court to careless driving.

The court heard the mother and daughter waited to cross the road at around 2.50pm.

Bologna was driving a Kia Ceed car with his 22-year-old son Antonio in the passenger seat.

Prosecutor Jennifer Sillars said: “A witness driving behind the car saw it veer to the left and collide with the nearside railing separating the road from the pavement.

“In striking the railing, this caused the railing to strike the woman and her daughter.

“The vehicle then came to a resting position which was perpendicular to the railing.”

Police later arrived and officers spoke with Bologna.

Ms Sillars stated: “He said to them that he had fallen asleep.

“He said that he started work at 6am.”

The two victims were taken to hospital where they were treated for cuts and bruises.

Darran Khorasani, defending, told the court that his client and son work at a Tesco in Livingston, West Lothian.

The lawyer said: “He was returning home from working an early shift before this incident.

“He described momentarily nodding off and the consequences are as described.

“He says this has been on his mind and he feels really guilty about it and apologises for the consequences.”

Sheriff David Taylor fined Bologna, of the city’s Croftfoot, £270 and put seven penalty points on his licence.

The sheriff said: “It is in my view a serious incident of careless driving given the nature of your driving but it is not an incident where I will disqualify you.

“I take the view that you have no previous convictions and a largely clean driving record.”