SNS GroupA driver ran over a granddad while she had cocaine in her system.
Katie Tollan, 27, struck Robert Lanyon, 68, in Motherwell, Lanarkshire, on March 17, 2024.
The High Court in Glasgow was told that Mr Lanyon had left a local bar when he decided to cross the A721 Bellshill Road at 9.10pm.
Prosecutor Shanti Maguire said: “Mr Lanyon, who was wearing dark clothing, approached a traffic light junction.
“He crossed the road when the traffic lights were at green for drivers.
“As Tollan approached the lights, Mr Lanyon crossed the road in front of her from right to left.
“As he entered the lane, he was struck by the front offside of the car, thrown onto the bonnet with his head striking the windscreen.
“Tollan applied the brakes, causing him to be thrown to the road as the car came to a stop.”
A car which was driving behind Tolland then struck the rear of her hired Ford Puma vehicle, but it had no bearing on the fatal collision.
It was stated that there was no suggestion that Tollan was driving in excess of the speed limit.
A 999 call was made by a member of the public, which was played to the court.
In it, the caller can be heard saying: “He has walked out in front of a motor.”
Mr Lanyon was taken to hospital, where he was found to have suffered two cardiac arrests. He was also unconscious.
Mr Lanyon was stated to have had a hemothorax, where blood and air have entered the chest cavity, which puts pressure on the lungs.
A CT scan revealed a “traumatic injury” to the small intestine as well as multiple organ failure.
Due to the nature of his condition, Mr Lanyon was not suitable for an operation, and he passed away on March 21, 2024.
Tollan, of Motherwell, was arrested where she made admissions to being the driver involved in the collision.
A drug test was carried out, which found that she was over twice the driving limit for a stimulant, which is found in cocaine.
A collision investigation report stated that a driver would have been able to see a pedestrian in dark clothing from 53.64 metres away.
It was also said that Tollan “did not take any meaningful action”, such as steering to avoid the collision when she had four metres of available road to the side of her.
The report went on to say there was “ample street lighting for drivers to have a sufficient view of the pedestrian crossing.”
Mr Lanyon was stated to have been on the road for eight-and-a-half seconds before the collision took place.
The court heard that Mr Lanyon is survived by his mother, sister, his two adult daughters, Jan and Lisa, as well as three grandchildren.
Tollan pleaded guilty to causing Mr Lanyon’s death by careless driving.
Sentence was deferred pending background reports on the first offender, Tollan, until next month by Judge Lord Colbeck, who granted her bail.
The judge said: “The gravity of matters will not be lost on you – there is nothing for me to say today.”
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