A WOMAN lost control of her car as she drove on the A1 in East Lothian, leaving a South American family in hospital and her car on its side.

Claire Lizanec was driving her white Nissan southwards near to Dunbar when she lost control and veered into the opposite carriageway, crashing into oncoming traffic.

Lizanec hit a Transit van – carrying an Ecuadorean family travelling to Edinburgh – almost head on, leaving both vehicles with significant damage.

Lizanec’s car flipped over about three times before coming to a halt on its side across both carriageways.

Fellow motorists jumped to both drivers’ aid and 35-year-old Lizanec had to be subsequently cut free from her vehicle by a fire team.

The Ecuadorian family were taken to hospital suffering from an array of injuries, including broken bones, neck pain and bruising.

Lizanec, from Dundee, appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last Thursday, where she was found guilty of dangerous driving following a trial.

Self-employed salesman Jose Maldonado, who needed the help of an interpreter, told the court that he was driving his family in the Transit van on the northbound carriageway of the A1 in late July 2014 when he saw the white Nissan leave its own side of the road and head straight for his vehicle.

Mr Maldonado, 53, said: “I saw a vehicle overtaking another and the vehicle which overtook collided with my vehicle.

“I did everything I could to swerve to avoid the collision, otherwise we could all have died.

“I saw the vehicle come towards me but everything happened so quickly. Then I was on the floor and I can’t remember after that.”

Mr Maldonado told the court that his son had suffered broken toes from the accident and he suffered a pain in his eye and numbness in his arm. His wife was also taken to hospital.

Witnesses Michael Smith, 45, and Peter McKellar, 59, spoke of the Nissan leaving its own carriageway despite there being dry conditions and clear visibility.

Mr McKellar, a vet, told the court that Lizanec had been driving far too close to him on the dual carriageway stretch of the road and he was forced to put his lights on in a bid to get her to drop back.

He said: “The vehicle then dropped back to around 100 yards behind me and I was happier the distance was now safe.

“Next, I was aware of a loud noise behind me.

"I looked in my mirror and I saw the vehicle corkscrewing. It rolled onto its roof, then over again.”

Mr Smith and Mr McKellar then safely pulled their own vehicles in and ran back to help the injured parties.

Two police officers also gave evidence during last Thursday’s trial and spoke of fuel on the road and closing the road for more than three hours following the smash.

Unemployed Lizanec also gave evidence to the court and denied she had been using a mobile phone or that she was overtaking when the accident occurred.

She told the court that the last thing she remembered before the smash was “it was a beautiful night and then I saw a bright light”.

Lizanec added she had “no recollection of the crash” and admitted she had not straightened up properly after coming round a sweeping bend.

The mum-of-four added that she had rolled her vehicle three times before it came to a stop on its side and accepted the accident was her fault.

After hearing all the evidence in the case, Sheriff Nigel Ross found Lizanec guilty of dangerous driving and banned her from the road for 12 months.

Sheriff Ross also fined the driver £300 and told her she would have to pass the extended driving test before she was allowed back behind the wheel.