College lecturer Sophie Hynd has admitted to causing the deaths of a husband and wife in a drunk-driving incident in Cluny, Fife, in December of last year. Hynd's vehicle crashed head-on into the car carrying Jatinder Kaur, 48, and Satwant Singh, 64.
At the time of the collision, Kaur was driving their family's Volkswagen Polo while her husband and their two children were passengers. Their 19-year-old daughter, Parveet, was in the front passenger seat, and their 10-year-old son, Princedeep, was asleep in the back next to his father. The force of the impact brought both vehicles to a stop.
Other drivers who witnessed Hynd's erratic driving stopped to assist. Police and paramedics arrived shortly after, finding Hynd to smell of alcohol and appearing unaware she had been in a collision. Kaur was unresponsive and pronounced dead at the scene. Singh was taken to a hospital, where he died two days later.
Hynd was arrested and charged in May. Her defense lawyer stated that she recognizes the devastating consequences of her actions and that they weigh heavily on her. The judge informed Hynd that she understood the gravity of the charge she pleaded guilty to, noting that she had left behind a deceased husband and wife.
The family of Jatinder Kaur and Satwant Singh released a statement expressing their profound loss. "We will miss them more than words can express," they said. They described their mother as a constant source of advice and reassurance, and their father as someone who loved his family above all else. The family acknowledged the difficulty in accepting that Kaur and Singh will not be present for future life milestones.
The case is scheduled to return to court in October.