Families devastated by black day on roads

A COUPLE who died after they were hit by a lorry in Hamilton have been named.

• John and Emma Grier died after being hit by a lorry in Hamilton

Emma and John Grier, both aged 76, from Motherwell, died after the accident in Townhead Street on Wednesday morning.

Meanwhile, the mother of a teenage girl killed on the A9 has spoken of the "huge void" left by the death of her daughter.

Elli Williams, 16, from Auchterarder, Perthshire, was hit by a car just after 10pm on Tuesday. It is thought more vehicles hit her as she lay in the road.

Elli, who had become separated from her friends, was found on the southbound carriageway of the A9 near Auchterarder.

She was the first of five people to die on Scotland's roads in the space of 24 hours.

Speaking from the family home yesterday, Elli's mother Cara-Lee said: "The whole family is absolutely distraught and devastated. We are trying to come to terms with the loss of such a wonderful daughter and sister.

"She will be a huge void in not only my life, but that of her dad Paul, her brother, Joss, and her sisters, Ines and Eva.

"We would like to thank everyone for their messages of support at this very sad time."

Elli, the eldest of the four children, was a former pupil at the Community School in her home town and had started attending Morrison's Academy in Crieff in October last year.

Paying tribute to her yesterday, Barbara Boyd, headteacher of Community School, said: "The whole school, staff and pupils are devastated by this news.

"Elli was a credit to her family and the school. She will be sadly missed by us all. Our thoughts are with the family at this time."

Superintendent Tony Beveridge, Deputy Divisional Commander, leading the investigation into the accident, said the teenager's death had affected many in the local community.

He said police were working with schools and the council to ensure support was available.

Meanwhile, a man who died after he was hit by a car on a Highland road on Wednesday was named by police as William MacDonald, 52, of Corntown, Conon Bridge.

A second man who died after he was struck by a car near Stanecastle roundabout in Irvine, Ayrshire, the same evening was named as Edward Devine, 51, of Broomlands Place, Irvine.