A MOTORIST who caused serious injury to his passenger when he lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a tree on a county road has been banned from driving.

Callum McNeil was driving a van at excessive speed when he attempted to overtake a lorry on the B1377 between Longniddry and East Fortune and came off the road.

The incident saw McNeil, 32, cause another vehicle to take evasive action to avoid colliding with him before he lost control of the van and left the road, ploughing into a tree on March 20 last year.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told that a passenger suffered serious injuries in the crash and was rushed to hospital for treatment.

McNeil, of Kennedy Crescent, Tranent, pleaded guilty to a charge of dangerous driving during an appearance at the Capital court earlier this year and he returned to the dock for sentencing last Tuesday.

Sheriff Julius Komorowski sentenced McNeil to a community payback order where he will have to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work within a 12-month period.

The sheriff also imposed a 24-month driving ban on McNeil and told him he will have to sit and pass the extended driving test before he is allowed back in the road.