Fine for driver who left cyclist permanently scarred

A WOMAN who collided with a cyclist near Lerwick, causing injuries to the victim which required surgery, has received four penalty points and a £400 fine for driving carelessly.

The cyclist suffered a score of injuries – including a fractured leg, a large open wound which needed 60 staples and permanent scarring – in the incident, which took place at the Brig o’ Fitch dale near Lerwick on 12 April.

The victim also suffers from flashbacks and has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie said 38 year old Fiona Hussey, of Lerwick’s Unicorn View, pulled out in front of the cyclist on a day of good weather.

The cyclist, who now has constant pain in their leg and wrist, had to have surgery treatment in Lerwick and Aberdeen over a number of weeks.

Defence agent Craig Dewar said his client had checked both ways for traffic before she left the junction.

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He added that sun reflecting off road signs may have been an issue when it came to visibility, as well as bollards.

Sheriff Philip Mann said the incident “demonstrated how careful we’ve got to be when driving” and agreed with Dewar that the incident stemmed from a moment of “inattention”.