Scots stock car racer jailed for six years after killing grandad in vodka-fuelled crash
22.03.2023 - 16:17
/ dailyrecord.co.uk
A stock car racer who killed a Royal Navy veteran after drinking has been jailed for six years.
Marc Fortune, 28, was behind the wheel of his 4x4 pick up when he ploughed into the back of a Vauxhall Meriva driven by John King. The 63 year-old's car was forced off the road and ended up spinning down an embankment on the A92 near Cowdenbeath in Fife.
John - who had served in the Royal Navy for 25 years - never survived the crash on September 12 2020. A young boy and a baby in the motor were also hurt, but luckily survived.
Fortune - who had earlier been spotted swigging vodka at a stock car meeting - fled the later telling a friend: "My mum is going to kill me." A judge today paid tribute to the "incredible fortitude" of the boy, who managed to alert the emergency services despite his injuries.
First offender Fortune was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow having earlier admitted to a charge of causing death by dangerous driving. Lord Matthews cut the term from eight years due to the guilty plea.
Fortune was also banned from the road for 10 years. Prosecutor Richard Goddard KC earlier told how Fortune was involved in racing stock cars mainly at a track in Lochgelly, Fife.
He had been there on the night of the incident as a spectator.
Mr Goddard: "He was seen to take a full sized bottle of vodka from the passenger seat of his Mitsubishi Barbarian L200. He was seen to pinch his nose and drink 'a good few mouthfuls'."
Despite this, he later drove off in his 4x4 and headed on the A92. John meantime was on the same road on way to collect a relative from work.
One child was in the front passenger seat with the younger in a baby seat in the back. John was in the inside lane when he was suddenly struck at the back by Fortune's vehicle.
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