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A company director who had earlier taken cocaine killed a woman in a horror three-car road smash.
Christopher Lynn, 32, was behind the wheel of his Ford Ranger pick-up when he ploughed into the back of a Vauxhall Astra driven by Yvonne Nichol. The collision sent Miss Nichol’s motor into the direction on an oncoming vehicle.
The 64-year-old tragically never survived the crash on the A7 Edinburgh to Carlisle road near Ashkirk in the Scottish Borders on August 15 2023. A judge heard how Lynn had been going at 81 mph seconds before the smash.
First-offender Lynn today pled guilty to a charge of causing death by dangerous driving at the High Court in Glasgow. He faces a lengthy jail-term when he is sentenced later this month.
The court heard how Lynn had been travelling through Galashiels that day when he soon had to stop as he felt unwell before carrying on his journey. He eventually ended up on the A7 going in the same direction as Miss Nichol.
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Prosecutor Alan Parfery told the hearing: “Having ingested cocaine at an earlier time…his reactions were slow and impaired because he was in the comedown phase.
“He had consumed cocaine at some time the previous day.”
Lynn was said to have been going at “excessive speed”. He was found to be driving at 66mph when he hit Miss Nichol’s Astra. The victim’s car then struck a Nissan Juke being driven by an elderly woman.
Emergency services soon arrived at the crash scene. Miss Nichol, of Hawick, had to be extracted from her vehicle by fire crews. She was rushed to hospital, but passed away from her injuries.
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Miss Nichol’s front seat passenger and the driver of the Nissan were badly hurt following the incident. Lynn, of Dalkeith, Midlothian, was later quizzed by police and insisted he could not remember anything before the smash.
An allegation that he had fallen asleep at the wheel was today deleted from the charge prior to his guilty plea being accepted.
Victoria Dow, defending, had asked for Lynn’s bail to be continued to sort out matters relating to the family business.
Lynn is a director for the firm – his role being in groundwork, fire protection and health and safety. But, judge Lord Clark remanded him in custody pending sentencing on October 30 in Edinburgh.
He said the matter was a “serious crime with devastating and catastrophic consequences”.
