EDINBURGH SOLICITOR ACCUSED OF CAUSING FATAL HEAD-ON CRASH
An Edinburgh solicitor's car involved in a fatal crash which resulted in the deaths of his wife Abigail, his daughter Mia, and a German doctor named Dr.Mohammed Ali Hayajneh had a broken suspension system, a court has heard.
The collision expert Mark Littler suggested that the broken suspension could have been a "possible explanation" for the head-on crash but admitted it was an "implausible explanation." Andrew Houston, aged 48, is charged with driving carelessly on the A9 between Newtonmore and Kingussie on 9 July 2013.
The accident caused the death of his wife Abigail, daughter Mia, and Dr.
Hayajneh, who was a 62-year-old physician from Duisburg, Germany.
Houston's Audi crossed white lines into the opposite lane and collided with a Jeep Cherokee heading north.
Mr.
Littler, a collision expert from Greater Manchester, mentioned that the more probable cause of the dislodged coil spring, which had just passed an MOT test, was the collision itself.
Though the spring was found jammed into the vehicle's sub-frame and was in a horizontal position instead of the usual vertical, Mr.
Littler stated it was unlikely to have come loose without a significant impact.
He indicated that if Houston was travelling at 50 mph, he would have had around 3 seconds to react before impact, but the spring's displacement would have required a considerable impact, which was unlikely to have happened without the collision.
Houston denies causing the deaths through careless driving and crossing into the opposite carriageway.
The crash also involved a Peugeot that managed to avoid collision by swerving off the road.
Houston sustained injuries including cracked ribs and a broken foot.
The trial was ongoing, and the jury was expected to retire and consider their verdict soon.
