AN OAP who crashed into a cyclist and put him in a medically induced coma will never drive again.
The cyclist needed a full hip replacement and spent two weeks in hospital, and is still suffering from some of the effects of the 2024 collision.
Harold Rattray, 77, pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention and causing serious injuries.
Dumbarton Sheriff Court heard how the cyclist was on the A82 near the Renton bypass around 11.40am on January 11, 2024.
The 65-year-old was in lane one of the dual carriageway in dark clothing with a rear red light flashing on his bicycle.
Fiscal depute Mandy Robertson said another driver went round a bend and spotted the cyclist, moving into the second lane to give him clearance.
When he moved back to the first lane, he looked in his rear mirror and saw a dark coloured car had collided with the cyclist.
The biker was hit from behind and thrown into the air and onto the middle of the road.
A passenger with Rattray, of Clyde View Court, Bowling, stated the driver had failed to observe the cyclist.
The cyclist was put in a medically induced coma and taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
He remained in hospital for 15 days with pelvic and spine fractures, three rib fractures and a haematoma near his bladder. There were also head injuries.
Metal plates were added to his hip socket and he needed full hip replacement surgery.
Doctors reported there would be permanent scarring, including six small scars to the right leg and a surgical scar on his left hip.
The court was told he is walking three miles a day and using physiotherapy exercises. But he still experiences dizziness and imbalance when walking, particularly when turning his head or changing direction suddenly.
Rattray pleaded not guilty to a second charge of driving when his eyesight could not comply with legal requirements. The Crown accepted the plea.
Sheriff Maxwell Hendry noted the man had a previous conviction "not to his credit" but "extremely old".
Defence solicitor Judith Reid said her client had not driven since the collision.
"His situation was there was low sun, and that's what caused the accident," she said. "He accepts he didn't see the cyclist."
The sheriff said: "I know the road very, very well. Low sun means a driver has to take additional care."
He noted that another driver saw the cyclist and avoided him.
Ms Reid said it had taken the Crown more than a year to indict Rattray. The defence made repeated attempts to resolve the matter, but didn't get a reply until January 2026.
During all that time, his insurance had fully compensated the victim.
She said: "This has hung over him as well as the cyclist for a very long time.
"Photos taken almost immediately before the accident show he is a very changed man. He is much frailer than he was then."
Sheriff Hendry interrupted and said that "pales in comparison" to the cyclist's injuries.
Ms Reid said there was "ongoing remorse".
"This is a man who gave himself a considerable fright and dealt entirely appropriately with this since," she added.
The sheriff said: "It's an example of how a moment of carelessness can change lives. [The cyclist's] life was changed, and your life was changed.
"It should not have happened."
On February 11, he disqualified Rattray for three years, but noted the OAP had said he would try to regain his licence.
"Effectively, you will not drive again," he said.
He was also fined £650 plus a £40 victim surcharge.
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