'Million mile' driver Edward Berry keeps licence despite causing A9 pile-up

A pensioner who caused a pile-up on the A9 has avoided a ban after the court was told he had driven more than a million miles without an incident.

Edward Berry, 70, crashed head-on into another car before hitting a lorry and a crash barrier at Blair Atholl on 25 January.

Perth Sheriff Court heard Berry had been trying to overtake at the time.

Sheriff Michael Fletcher fined him £500 and imposed seven penalty points, but let Berry keep his licence.

Berry, from Bolton, had been driving to a funeral in Inverness.

The court heard the road surface had been damp and daylight was fading.

The 70-year-old had attempted to overtake a van directly in front of him and the lorry in front of that, but was still overtaking the lorry when another vehicle came towards him in the opposite direction.

Solicitor Richard Freeman, defending, said: "He was overtaking the lorry when, unfortunately he misjudged the speed and distance of the car coming towards him.

The results of that kind of misjudgement on that road can be catastrophic”

"He accepts full responsibility. On the day he apologised to the drivers.

"To say it was out of character is somewhat of an understatement."

The court was told that Berry had been driving for 48 years and that the incident at Blair Atholl was the first time he had ever been involved in a road accident.

Mr Freeman said his client had worked as a BT gas engineer and had driven more than 25,000 miles annually throughout his working life

Sheriff Michael Fletcher reprimanded Berry and said: "This was a very serious misjudgement.

"The results of that kind of misjudgement on that road can be catastrophic.

"It was not a good piece of driving."

But in passing sentence, he said he accepted Berry's previous good history as a driver.