Kilmarnock man banned from road after causing fatal crash on M8

A van driver from Kilmarnock who caused a fatal crash on the M8 has been banned from the road.

Alexander Cassidy pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention on 20th July 2015, causing the death of 49-year-old Wayne Strickland.

The 29 year-old admitted failing to observe slow moving and stationary traffic which had tailed back onto the inside lane at J3 because of road works.

The High Court at Livingston was told his Mercedes Sprinter van slammed into the back of Mr Strickland's Peugeot car, shunting it into the vehicle in front.

Mr Strickland, who was severely injured, was trapped in his car which almost immediately exploded into flames.

Advocate depute Jane Farquhar, prosecuting, said the fire "consumed his car and its contents" before spreading to the Kia Rio in front and the Mercedes van driven by accused.

Miss Farquhar told the court that artic driver Paul Courtney, Piotr Skrzypiec who was in the Kia, and the accused were all able to get out of their vehicles safely.

She said: "The accused tried immediately to get in Mr Strickland's car, which was engulfed in flames

"He had to be dragged away because it was too hot and there were fears it might explode."

She said a doctor who was in a car further up the slip road saw the fire and ran back to offer any medical assistance she could.

The doctor saw Cassidy pacing about the scene with his head in his hands.

She heard him say: "I tried the door. I tried to get him out, but the door was jammed.

"It's all my fault! It's all my fault! If I'd been able to stop, it would not have happened."

Miss Farquhar said Cassidy was constantly looking back towards the fire as he said this.

She revealed that a post mortem examination found evidence of traumatic injuries which could have caused Mr Strickland's death.

He had multiple injuries, including a fracture of the front of the skull, broken ribs and fractures of the spine

He also had a lacerated liver and severe fire damage to all of his body which had destroyed his skin.

However, she said there was no convincing evidence of combustion inhalation, which indicated that perhaps death might have occurred on impact and not as a result of the fire.

The accused was also examined by paramedics but had no obvious head injury and no acute injuries. He was taken to hospital but discharged later that day into the care of his parents.

He later voluntarily went to Kilmarnock police station.

Miss Farquhar described the tailback of traffic on the motorway as "an unexpected and unusual event".

She said Cassidy had been returning to Kilmarnock after delivering sandwiches to various addresses in Edinburgh.

It was clear his van had been travelling behind Mr Strickland's car, but it couldn't be ruled out that other vehicles in front of him had moved out into the outside carriageway - which was flowing freely at normal motorway speeds - just before the collision.

She said a tracking device showed Cassidy had been travelling at 61.5mph 34 seconds before the actual time of impact. At precisely 8.44.59 am when the ignition was cut, the van was travelling at 50.3mph.

She told the court: "He stated that as he approached the Livingston cut-off he was looking in his mirror to turn into outside lane.

"As he turned back he saw Mr Strickland's vehicle in front and he had insufficient time to brake and avoid a collision.

Road traffic experts say he'd have needed to be 100 metres behind to avoid a collision. All experts agreed Mr Cassidy had very little time in which to react.

"He accepts that he failed to properly observe that slow moving and stationary traffic ahead of him."

Barry Smith, defence advocate, told the court: "Mr Cassidy is most anxious I should formally express and record on this day his sincerest regret and remorse at the tragic consequences of this accident.

"Also (he wants me) to express on his behalf his most sincere condolences to the family of Mr Strickland some of whom are in court today.

"Notwithstanding inevitable disqualification ad interim as of today he tells me he expects his employment to continue."

Judge Lord Clark disqualified him from driving with immediate effect and called for a social work background report before he passes sentence at the High Court in Glasgow on 19 April.