Wick sister's appeal over brother's crash death
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THE devastating consequences of an accident were brought home to pupils this week by the sister of a teenager killed in a car collision.
Claire MacKenzie, from Wick, urged sixth-years to be responsible drivers and told them of her family’s heartbreak at the loss her brother, Scott.
Northern Constabulary has been touring schools across the Highlands to promote the Driving Ambition initiative.
This week, it visited Wick and Thurso high schools where the police invited Miss MacKenzie (29) to give a talk on her experience.
In 2008, her 17-year-old brother was killed in a crash. He had been a passenger in a vehicle travelling at speed which crashed on the A882 road at Whitefield.
Since his death, Miss MacKenzie and her family have worked constantly to promote the message of road safety across the North.
"The absence that Scott’s death has left in our family has been devastating," she said.
"It is not just us that have to live with his death, the driver also has to learn to live with what happened.
"The main point of my talk was to put the message across to drive responsibly when taking to the road and not to risk putting their parents through the same heartbreak we endured.
"Once they are behind the wheel, they alone are in charge of their actions."
This year, eight of the 18 fatalities which have occurred in the Northern Constabulary area have been in Caithness, Sutherland and Ross.
The pupils watched a film in which they heard the story of Donald Geddes, from Ullapool, who was involved in a serious car crash in 2001. The accident left him 95 per cent blind in one eye and he contracted diabetes as a result.
The students also worked in groups to discuss road safety prevention.
Chief Inspector Matthew Reiss said in a rural area like Caithness it is important to press home the message of road safety.
"Half of the accidents which have happened in the Northern Constabulary area occurred in this constituency," he said. "You can’t measure the affect that initiatives such as these have on young drivers when they to take the road. But I think that it has had a positive effect on them.
"We believe that by visiting schools it will help reduce fatalities on roads in the Far North."
He continued: "We also want to put out the message about being under the influence of drink or drugs. If drivers do decide to take the risk, we will catch them and they will appear before court."
