Skating star hits out at RAC after van blocked mums driveway

Scots speed skating star Elise Christie has delivered an icy blast to motoring group RAC after claiming her mother was stopped from collecting a family member from hospital when a van blocked her driveway.
Elise Christie has delivered an icy blast to motoring group RACElise Christie has delivered an icy blast to motoring group RAC
Elise Christie has delivered an icy blast to motoring group RAC

Christie, 29, hit out after an RAC vehicle parked across mum Angela's drive preventing her from leaving her property.

She said the incident stopped her mum from collecting a relative from hospital and stopped her step-dad leaving for work.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The RAC had attended a call out in Livingston, West Lothian, after a neighbour reported a mechanical fault with a car.

They have offered an apology but insisted their mechanic offered to move the van. They also said the employee was a fan of Elise and had been left 'mortified'.

Read More
Man arrested following robbery at Edinburgh jewellery shop

"After asking to move the van they refused."

The RAC said their mechanic has been left embarrassed by the frosty response to the social media post because he is a massive fan of the speed skater.

A spokesman said: "Our patrol is really upset by this post as he offered to move his van as soon as the neighbour needed to go to work, but no one ever came out to get in the car.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"He’s also mortified as he’s been a fan of Elise for years and would loved to have met her had she been there."

Ryan Wakefield said: "That's awful Elise, hope something is done about it."

James Cook added: "Very poor show on the RAC’s part."

Earlier this year Elise revealed she had been battling depression after a number of sporting and personal heartaches.

The three-time Winter Olympian said she developed anxiety after receiving death threats following the 2014 Games in Russia.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

She dramatically fell in the final of the women's 500m short track and finished fourth despite hopes she would secure a medal for Britain.

And at the 2018 Games in South Korea, she fell in the 500m final and 1500m semi-finals, and raced with an injured ankle in the 1000m heats, where she was disqualified.

Following those games she also broke up with her boyfriend, Hungarian skater Shaolin Sandor Liu, and says this combination led to her taking anti-depressants for two years but has since stopped taking the medication.