Two motorists have been remanded in custody after being found guilty of causing the death of a mother-of-two during a reckless early-morning race on a Scottish road.
A Catastrophic Collision on the A70
Shona McKinlay, 46, died in a catastrophic crash on the A70 near Ayr in the early hours of October 28, 2022. The collision occurred after Rory Nimmo, 26, and John Clark, 43, engaged in what prosecutors described as a race at 'grossly excessive speeds'.
Estimates presented in court suggested their vehicles reached speeds of up to 111mph during the incident. The fatal sequence began when Nimmo, driving an extensively modified Audi TT, attempted an unsafe overtake on Clark's Ford Focus.
The Reckless Manoeuvre and Fatal Consequences
In a bid to prevent the manoeuvre, Clark accelerated, leading both cars to take a bend at high speed. Nimmo suddenly applied his brakes, lost control of his Audi, and veered onto the wrong side of the road.
He collided head-on with the Renault Kangoo being driven by Ms McKinlay. The court heard that the tyres on Nimmo's Audi were below the legal minimum tread depth, further compromising the vehicle's safety.
Denials and a Guilty Verdict
Both men had denied the charge of causing death by dangerous driving. Nimmo, from Cumnock, Ayrshire, denied racing anyone. Clark, from Drongan, accepted being on that stretch of road but claimed it was at a different time, suggesting a case of mistaken identity.
However, after a trial at the High Court in Glasgow, the jury found both men guilty. Judge Douglas Brown remanded them in custody, stating the inevitability of a custodial sentence. They are due to be sentenced in the New Year and face lengthy jail terms.
The family of Shona McKinlay welcomed the guilty verdict but expressed their anguish that the men had been 'cowards' for not admitting their responsibility for the crime that took her life.
