Eight die on Scottish roads in worst weekend of carnage for four years

Published on Sunday 26 July 2009 22:15

TWO more people died yesterday as part of the worst weekend of carnage on Scotland's roads for nearly four years.

The latest of the eight victims in three days was a man whose car hit a tree in Aberdeenshire yesterday and another who died following a crash in Moray early on Saturday.

The deaths came as it emerged the husband of a woman killed in East Lothian on Friday night witnessed the crash, which also claimed the lives of two teenagers.

In yesterday's incident in Aberdeenshire, a 23-year-old man died around 4am when the Audi A3 he was driving left the B994 Kintore-Kemnay road north of Aberdeen.

Neil Greig, of the Institute of Advanced Motorists, said: "This has been one of the worst weekends for years on Scotland's roads, which comes just a month after the launch of the Scottish Government's new road safety strategy to cut casualties.

"These crashes underline the fact that although the number of road deaths are coming down, we need to continue efforts to bring them down even further."

Grampian Police said it been a "very challenging weekend" on the region's roads.

Two people also died after a crash in Lossiemouth, Moray, on Saturday. Jennifer Lovell, 31, was hit by a red Fiat Punto which left the road in Stotfield Road around 1am.

Steven McArthur, 30, the car driver, died in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary yesterday.

Inspector Ewan Innes said: "Yet again, we find ourselves having to deal with the another fatality on the north-east's roads.

"Once again, we have to plead with motorists to concentrate and drive with care at all times."

Meanwhile, police last night named those killed in Friday's East Lothian crash as Sheena Bruce, 54, and 17-year-olds James Whitecross and Daniel Neil. All three were from Tranent.

Mrs Bruce's husband, James, was driving behind her Nissan Micra when he saw it collide with a Renault Clio being driven in the opposite direction by Mr Whitecross.

The incident happened at 9:10pm on Friday on the A199 Haddington to Tranent road opposite Macmerry industrial estate.

Mrs Bruce, a supermarket worker, had picked up her car from a repair garage shortly before the crash.

Mr Bruce was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary suffering from shock.

He said yesterday: "It's a tragic accident and we are still trying to come to terms with it at this difficult time."

Colleagues of Mrs Bruce from the Asda store at The Jewel in Edinburgh laid her green and black Asda jacket at the scene of the crash as a tribute.

Flowers and signed football strips were also placed at the site by friends of the teenagers.

One of them, John Black, 23, said: "They went everywhere and did everything together.

"They were both very well known and liked in the town and everyone is devastated at what has happened."

In the other two fatal crashes, Fraser Armour, 24, was killed when his motorbike hit a wall in Kilmacolm, Renfrewshire, just after 2:30pm on Friday.

Three hours later, Valerie Thomson, 60, was killed when she was struck by a vehicle as she crossed Great Western Road in Kelvinbridge, Glasgow.

A man was seriously injured when he was hit by a white Volkswagen Golf in Halbeath Road, east of Dunfermline town centre, about 3:10am yesterday.

The 23-year-old was taken to the town's Queen Margaret Hospital with serious leg, arm and head injuries.

Motoring groups said the incidents highlighted the need to redouble efforts to improve road safety, even though Scotland's death toll reached a record low of 272 last year.

The strategy set a target of 40 per cent fewer road deaths by 2020. In the previous worst weekend death toll, nine people were killed, including three in Irvine, in November 2005.