A WOMAN had to be cut free from her vehicle after a Prestonpans workman “swerved across the road” into the car.

Elizabeth Saunders suffered fractured ribs and was cut free from the wreckage of her Skoda by the fire service after plasterer Graham Brown had crashed his car into her vehicle.

Brown, of Salt Preston Place, had overtaken a vehicle near the entrance of Luffness New Golf Club on the outskirts of Gullane but “misjudged” the situation.

Brown pleaded guilty to driving dangerously by performing an overtaking manoeuvre, driving on the opposite side of the road, colliding with a vehicle and injuring Elizabeth Saunders at the A198 on July 2 when he appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last Wednesday.

Fiscal depute Mark Keane told the court the incident took place at about 7.35am on July 2.

Mr Keane said: “A witness was travelling east towards Gullane and he was overtaken by a green Ford Focus driven by Mr Brown.

“The accused entered the nearside verge and swerved across the road and collided with Elizabeth Saunders in her Skoda Fabia, who was coming in the opposite direction.”

Brown, who represented himself, told Sheriff Nigel Ross that he disagreed with the Crown narration as “it wasn’t a blind bend” he had overtaken on and he had “clipped the verge”.

Brown, a 37-year-old father-of-two, said he was driving at a maximum of 30mph but had “misjudged” the situation.

Despite hearing that a driving ban would cause the workman problems with his employment, Sheriff Ross said he had no option but to issue one and decided to ban Brown from driving for 12 months.

The sheriff also told Brown that he must pay Ms Saunders £500 in compensation.