Motorist admits car crash charge

A Western Isles woman has pleaded guilty to causing a woman’s death by careless driving.

At Stornoway Sheriff Court today (Thurs), Caroline Mackay of Moorfield, Newmarket, Lewis, admitted to driving at excessive speed for the nature and condition of the road. Her vehicle went out of control and collided with another car.

The 22-year-old’s BMW car hit the Mini in which health worker Karin Prior was a passenger.

Ms Prior, 51, died at the hospital where she was based a few hours after the car crash on Monday 20 August 2012.

The children’s occupational therapist - the mother of Bethany, then aged 12 years - suffered serious injuries in the collision at Newmarket about two miles outside Stornoway around 3.15pm that day.

She was taken to the nearby Western Isles Hospital in Stornoway but died later that evening.

The driver of the Mini, her colleague Philip Rogers, was also hurt in the crash.

Mackay previously denied the charge and a jury trial was due to start in two weeks. Today, (Thurs) she changed her plea to guilty.

Sheriff David Sutherland called for background reports and deferred sentence for six weeks.

Motorist admits causing car crash which killed woman 10/4/14

Karin Prior died following the car crash