The family of a man killed in a horror lorry crash in Coatbridge are calling for a change in licensing for HGVs in hopes that the tragedy is never repeated.
Viorel Ciucu died after Carly Sommerville, who was 18 at the time and only held an HGV driving licence for three months, misinterpreted traffic signals, wrongly filtering right at the A725's junction with the A8 and collided with Mr Ciucu's van.
Sommerville was sentenced to 200 hours of community service for carelessly causing the death of the dad-of-three at Hamilton Sheriff Court today and was also given a six-month restriction of liberty order and a four-year driving ban.
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We previously reported that the crash happened at the Shawhead interchange, near Coatbridge, around 11.30am on July 18, 2024, and, despite members of the public's efforts to help, Mr Ciucu was pronounced dead at the scene.
In a statement via law firm Digby Brown, the Ciucu family said: “The loss of Viorel continues to devastate our family and no outcome will ease this pain.
“The year he died was particularly significant as we were planning a trip to Romania but now all holidays, Christmas or birthdays have never been the same.
“Viorel was the person who united us during these occasions. He took pride in preparing traditional meals, but he never had the chance to pass down his recipes, meaning we feel a big loss in our family traditions.
“He was profoundly supportive of his children and supported them in their hobbies and ambitions, doing whatever he could to give them the best chances at success and happiness.
“And in October it would have been his 25th wedding anniversary to Veronica, whose life has now been turned upside down – they came to Scotland nearly 20 years ago to work for a better life and it should never have ended like this.
“While it is right the lorry driver is held accountable we cannot shake the belief that an 18-year-old should not have been behind the wheel of an HGV in the first place.
“It simply does not make sense to let a teenager get behind the wheel of a 40-tonne machine if they have only just passed their test – there should be a grading system, similar to motorbikes, where experience and ongoing testing is needed for safe progression.
“We therefore hope what happened here encourages a public debate and active change on how to keep people safe and prevent tragedies like this from happening again.”
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