Diabetic driver who suffered ‘incident’ at wheel is fined after crash

A diabetic driver has been fined £300 after he suffered an “incident” behind the wheel and crashed his car through a fence.

Balazs Onhausz, 33, of New Street, Scalloway, admitted careless driving when he appeared in the dock at Lerwick Sheriff Court.

The crash happened on 7th April when Onhausz failed to keep a proper look-out and lost control of his Ford Focus. The car struck a crash barrier and fence on the A970 at Gulberwick, causing damage.

Sheriff Philip Mann was told Onhausz was driving from Scalloway to Lerwick at around midnight when he failed to negotiate the junction.

His car continued across the road, hit the barrier and slid down a slope into a field.

Procurator fiscal Duncan MacKenzie said Onhausz, who needed a glucose tablet, was offered assistance from a passing motorist.

The fiscal said there was no evidence to suggest the road was slidy, as Onhausz had suggested.

“He admitted to police that he was driving at the time. But, interviewed by the police, he was not blaming diabetes for the incident.”

Defence agent Tommy Allan said Scottish Seafarms worker Onhausz, who comes originally from Hungary but has been in the isles for eight years, suffered from Type 1 diabetes.

“It’s something he, most of the time, manages to keep on top of, but it’s his position he may have suffered some sort of episode,” he said.

“He accepts that was due to a lack of careful management of his condition.”

The agent said Onhausz was “very lucky” not to have been seriously hurt.

He said Onhausz had since seen medical specialists and notified the DVLA about the incident. The agency, he said, had decided not to revoke his client’s licence.

“It’s something he’s going to take great care to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Mr Allan added.

“Off his own bat he’s expressed to me how thankful he was that nobody was hurt.”

As well as fining him, Sheriff Philip Mann ordered five points be placed on Onhausz’s licence – but he stopped short of banning him from driving after Mr Allan said Onhausz needed his licence for work and put forward “excellent references”.

The Sheriff said: “I’m taking the view that the DVLA are in a better position to assess the extent to which your condition affects public safety and I have to assume, from the fact your licence has not been revoked, that the DVLA have made a favourable assessment and taken the view that – provided you manage your condition satisfactorily – there should be no issue of public safety.”