Driver admits death crash charge

McQueen admitted the offence at the High Court in Glasgow

A teenage driver has admitted causing the death of a woman by dangerous driving on the A76 north of Dumfries.

Angela McCormick, 39, was returning from visiting one of her 10-day-old twin boys in hospital when she died in the crash at Auldgirth on 22 February.

At the High Court in Glasgow Mark McQueen, 19, of Burntscarthgreen, Locharbriggs, admitted the charge.

Judge Lord Brodie granted him bail pending sentence but warned him that he was very likely to face a jail term.

The court heard that on the day of the accident Ms McCormick was being driven back home from Dumfries Infirmary after visiting her baby son in the hospital.

Blind summit

Her father, James McCormick, was driving the car with her mother and daughter travelling as passengers.

Her partner, Jim Ferguson, was at home in Kelloholm with the other twin.

Ms McCormick was returning from visiting her baby in hospital

As Mr McCormick's Renault Megane approached the crest of a blind summit, a car driven by McQueen crossed the solid white line in the middle of the road as he overtook a lorry and hit their car head-on.

Ms McCormick died from multiple head, chest and abdomen injuries.

Her parents were also seriously hurt.

Her father required 16 weeks of hospital treatment and still has trouble walking while her mother was unconscious for five weeks and is still in hospital.

However, Ms McCormick's three-year-old daughter, Leah, escaped the crash unhurt.

The court was told that McQueen, an apprentice horticulturalist, had married last week.

Allowed bail

Paul Kearney, prosecuting, said he had suffered superficial cuts and bruises in the crash.

He said McQueen, who was driving a Ford Fiesta, had admitted to police that the accident was probably his fault as he had been overtaking.

He claimed, however, that he did not think there was a solid white line on his side of the carriageway.

Solicitor advocate Bill McVicar, defending, said McQueen knew the judge's options were limited and asked for bail pending sentence early next year.

Lord Brodie agreed to the request but warned McQueen there was a strong likelihood he would got to prison.