A 'lotto' luck for Carrbridge lorry crash driver
A witness to a dramatic lorry crash at Carrbridge considered the driver so lucky that she presented him with a Health Lottery ticket from her shop.
Kireen Johnston told him: "You’ll probably win this – but just you come back and share the money with me!"
The 46-year-old had just taken in the day’s newspapers for sorting at the Spar shop when at around 6.15am on Tuesday she heard a "frightening crash" and wondered if the newspaper van had actually hit her own building.
She told the ‘Strathy’: "When I tore up the stairs again to check the damage, I saw it was a lorry which had run into a neighbouring cottage. Even in the gloom I could see the damage was horrendous."
The Hermes delivery vehicle, a common sight in the village where it passes through regularly on business, had struck black ice as it travelled north and smashed into the cottage.
"I know the road was absolutely atrocious, because it hadn’t been gritted at all," said Ms Johnston.
"Normally it takes me five minutes to talk from my house in Ellanwood Road, but that morning it took me 15 minutes. I have warned local drivers via my Facebook page to go easy on that stretch.
"The driver was okay but was really badly shaken up. He reported the accident himself, but I felt he should have gone to hospital for a check-up.
"I poured gallons of tea down him to calm him, and that’s when I thought I’d give him the ticket, to help cheer him up."
Ms Johnston, who has lived in Carrbridge all her life, added: "I was a little shaken up myself, I admit. I’ve never seen anything like it before."
The damaged cottage was empty at the time of the crash.
The owner, leather craftsman Steve Hanshaw, was south of Glasgow on his way home from a family bash in Liverpool, when he heard from police about the accident.
Mr Hanshaw is often away on business and also has the popular Clog and Craft Shop at Invermoriston.
When he spoke to the ‘Strathy’ yesterday (Wednesday), he was philosophical.
"Things happen," he said. "Now it’s just a question battling over the insurance. The place is certainly insured and I will restore it, no doubt.
"It’s been my home for the last 25 years and I love it. I’m away a lot and I have the shop over on Ness-side but Carrbridge has such heart, it’s my kind of place and I’m certainly staying.
"But I’ve been warned it’s going to be a long job. Apparently even the gable is cracked through and we’re going to have to do pretty much a rebuild, but we’ll get there."
Once the lorry had been cleared from the battered building, contractors were quick to move in and shore up the three-bedroomed one-time Post Office.
