[A] garage owner from Scotland fell asleep at the wheel of a Renault car while driving along the M6 motorway near to Penrith in the early hours of Friday March 24.
Bryan Riddick, 38, gave his address as Morven Place, Dalgety Bay, Dunfermline, he appeared at the magistrates court in Carlisle and pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention.
District Judge Gerald Chalk was told how Riddick was travelling home to Scotland after driving to London and then Bristol and caused a collision with a marker post on the M6, he fell asleep at the wheel and swerved to the nearside lane colliding with a vehicle in front of him, his Renault car then left the road.
The court was told Riddick has a garage and a car sales business which he has built up since 2012, he had taken a car south for a customer and then driven back, he had a few comfort stops but admitted he had misjudged his need for more sleep, he set off on the journey home around 5am on the Friday, the accident occurred around 10.30am.
Riddick has “thrown his heart and soul into the business,” a driving ban could have serious consequences on his business and staff of four.
The judge imposed a driving disqualification of 8-months with 9-penalty points placed on his licence, he now has a total of 15-points all for speeding offences, he was also fined £900 with court costs of £200 and a victims surcharge of £90, the judge told Riddick the crash was one of high “culpability” and injuries were sustained.
