A van driver is to stand trial charged with killing a woman in a head-on crash in Renfrewshire.

James Graham allegedly struck a Mercedes A-Class car in which Lesley Jane McTear, 59, was a passenger on the A737 at Howwood on 23 September 2024.

The 61-year-old’s legal team pled not guilty on his behalf to a charge of causing death and serious injury by dangerous driving at the High Court in Glasgow.

It is claimed Graham, of Ayr, failed to spot a herd of ponies while he was driving at 75mph – when the limit was 50mph – while it was dark and the visibility was poor.

Prosecutors allege he hit the herd, killing four of the animals, then lost control of his van and went onto the wrong side of the road.

The indictment says he collided with the oncoming car McTear was in.

It is alleged he failed to keep proper observations on the road ahead or react to warning signals for an oncoming vehicle.

The Mercedes was pushed backwards and mounted a grass verge, and McTear was left so badly injured that she died.

Two other people in the car were also injured.