Speeding driver’s car split in two after hitting wall – four left seriously injured

The driver, Grant Moffat, had apparently been “showing off” before the horrific crash and he remained unconscious in hospital for weeks afterwards,

Moffat, 24, of Woodlands Crescent, Leven, appeared for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court. He admitted that on October 1, 2023 on the A915 Standing Stane Road and the A955 at East Wemyss, he drove his car dangerously and at excessive speed, causing serious injury to three people.

The court was previously told that Moffat went for a drive with his partner and two friends, a male and a female. At around 9.15pm he went through the Cameron roundabout near Methil and headed towards Kirkcaldy.

The speed limit was 40mph but Moffat was hitting 60 to 70mph along the Standing Stane Road.

He went to Dysart and turned on to the A955. He then stopped his car, revved the engine before releasing the brake and accelerating causing the wheels to spin with the engine making a loud screaming noise. He then approached a left-hand bend at excessive speed and his car began to spin.

A vehicle coming in the opposite direction saw Moffat’s car coming towards them. It left the road, spinning and hitting the gable end of a stone wall. The vehicle split in two on impact before rolling in mid-air and coming to rest against the wall. The front of the car was upside down and the remainder was upright. The occupants of the other vehicle stopped to offer their assistance.

Moffat’s partner exited the car while the other three occupants were trapped. When an ambulance arrived a short time later, the two trapped passengers were still conscious while Moffat was drifting in and out of consciousness. More ambulances were asked to attend along with a trauma team, the fire service and police.

At 9.50pm the three occupants of the car were still trapped and by now Moffat was unconscious and the others were lapsing in and out of consciousness. After almost two hours, all three had been cut free from the wreckage and taken to hospital by ambulance and air ambulance.

The male passenger suffered a broken right femur, numerous fractures of the pelvis and severe bruising to both ankles. He was in hospital for 10 days and had surgery including the insertion of a femoral nail and screws. He was put on medication for 12 weeks to deal with a blood clot.

Moffat’s partner suffered two pelvic fractures and a dislocated elbow which may never straighten again. She was taken by helicopter to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and had also sustained cuts to her head.

The other female passenger sustained a fractured ankle, torn ligaments and tendons on her right leg and bruising. She had surgery that night where broken bones were put back in place and fixed with screws. She had to wear a moon boot for six weeks and had another operation to remove the screws the following February.

Moffat suffered a cut to the back of his head, bruising to the brain, a fractured vertebrae in his neck, fractures to his eye socket, a fractured femur, fractures to the fibia and tibia on both legs and both feet and ankles were broken.

He remained unconscious and intubated in the intensive care unit until 19th October. He was released from hospital on November 2, 2023.

Sheriff Krista Johnston told Moffat, “You were travelling too fast and it could be interpreted that you were showing off when you had friends in the vehicle.

“You caused the car to leave the road with catastrophic consequences. I can only imagine that you have learned in the most terrible way the importance of driving safely.”

She imposed a community payback order with 250 hours of unpaid work and an 80-day restriction of liberty order. Moffat was banned from driving for 40 months and until he passes another driving test.