AN INEXPERIENCED driver who caused the death of an elderly passenger in a crash was spared a jail sentence today (Friday).

Ceilidh Howie lost control of a Ford Fiesta car after driving at excessive speed, failing to negotiate a bend and mounting a grass verge before driving onto the opposing carriageway and colliding with a Nissan.

A front seat passenger in the Nissan, Ian Wilson, 78, sustained injuries in the crash on the B1348 Port Seton to Longniddry road in East Lothian and died from them 15 days later in the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.

Howie, who was 21 at the time of the incident on May 6, 2018, was charged with causing the death of Mr Wilson by driving dangerously but denied the offence.

She was convicted by a jury of the lesser crime of causing his death by driving carelessly at an earlier trial at the High Court in Edinburgh.

A judge told Howie, 24, that despite the gravity of her offending and its consequences, he could deal with her without imposing a custodial sentence.

Lord Arthurson imposed a three-year community payback order on Howie and told her to perform 300 hours of unpaid work. She was banned from driving for six years.

The judge told her: "Your error of judgement was significant and had, of course, tragic and fatal consequences."

But the judge said he took into account the remorse she had demonstrated, including at the time of the crash.

He said he also took into account her decision not to get behind the wheel of a vehicle since the incident occurred.

A police officer who attended the crash scene said that Howie was "very distraught" and "upset" and added: "She was concerned for the occupants of the vehicle."

Howie said that she had been trying to avoid a cyclist when she lost control of her car.

A motorist said he had seen a car coming towards him at speed on his side of the road before going onto the correct side, but swerved and seemed to lose control before regaining traction and hitting the vehicle behind him.

Defence counsel Matt Jackson QC said that Howie was driving at "a speed inappropriate for prevailing road conditions".

He said she was an inexperienced driver and added: "More than anything else, the mistake she made that day was a consequence of that inexperience."

The defence counsel said: "She is tremendously remorseful for the hurt and loss she has caused to Mr Wilson's family by her actions."

He said Howie had sought to overtake a cyclist or cyclists and thought she had the time to do it but was wrong.

Howie, a chef, of Basin Approach, London, accepted that she was going too fast, said Mr Jackson.

The defence counsel said that she had not previously served a prison sentence and added: "She has elected not to drive since the accident happened."