Grangemouth driver crashed into substation and cut power to 300 homes

A careless driver cut power to 300 homes in Grangemouth when he lost control of his car and ploughed through a brick wall into an electricity substation.
By Court Reporter
Published 7th Feb 2020, 10:56 BST
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Stewart Watson (43), of Skye Court, Grangemouth, smashed his Vauxhall Corsa Energy Turbo through a wall before colliding with the high-voltage switchgear station in Allan Court, Grangemouth.

Appearing at Falkirk Sheriff Court, Wats on pled guilty to the careless driving offence he committed on April 13 last year.

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The court hearde his car initially struck a kerb before mounting a grass verge as Watson failed to regain control. The force of the impact with tore the substation from the ground

(TODAY) Copyright Pic: The Central Scotland News Agency File Name: StewartWatson1.JPG Stewart Watson, dob 10/10/85, outside Falkirk Sheriff Court where he was disqualified from driving for nine months and fined £450 after pleading guilty to a careless driving incident in which he lost control of his Vauxhall Corsa Energy Turbo, ploughed through a brick wall, and tore an electricity substation off by the roots, causing it to burst into flames. See story from Tim Bugler. Tel: 07768 302285 E-mail: csnews@btconnect.com(TODAY) Copyright Pic: The Central Scotland News Agency File Name: StewartWatson1.JPG Stewart Watson, dob 10/10/85, outside Falkirk Sheriff Court where he was disqualified from driving for nine months and fined £450 after pleading guilty to a careless driving incident in which he lost control of his Vauxhall Corsa Energy Turbo, ploughed through a brick wall, and tore an electricity substation off by the roots, causing it to burst into flames. See story from Tim Bugler. Tel: 07768 302285 E-mail: csnews@btconnect.com
(TODAY) Copyright Pic: The Central Scotland News Agency File Name: StewartWatson1.JPG Stewart Watson, dob 10/10/85, outside Falkirk Sheriff Court where he was disqualified from driving for nine months and fined £450 after pleading guilty to a careless driving incident in which he lost control of his Vauxhall Corsa Energy Turbo, ploughed through a brick wall, and tore an electricity substation off by the roots, causing it to burst into flames. See story from Tim Bugler. Tel: 07768 302285 E-mail: [email protected]

Procurator fiscal depute Collette Fallon said the installation then caught fire which “resulted in an electricity outage in 300 surrounding properties”.

Martin Morrow, defence solicitor, said: “He simply clipped the kerb and lost control. This had unfortunate and unintended consequences.”

Sheriff Derek Livingston called the incident “a serious piece of careless driving” and banned Watson from driving for nine months and fined him £450.