OAP dies after being knocked down near hospital

AN elderly woman has died after being knocked down while crossing the road near a hospital.

The 81-year-old was crossing Porterfield Road at the Western General Hospital at around 4pm yesterday.

She was treated at the scene but died from her injuries.

It is understood that the vehicle involved was a private hire taxi.

The driver of the vehicle is assisting police with the inquiry and officers are appealing for witnesses. An eyewitness to the incident said: “Unfortunately I came out of the Anne Ferguson building at the Western General Hospital with my grandfather, to see a woman trapped underneath a private hire taxi outside the building drop-off point.

“Staff rushed over from the minor injuries and receiving unit with a trolley followed by ambulance personnel who were around.

“Security staff cleared the area of vehicles as they cleared the way for the fire crews and police arriving.”

A Lothian and Borders Police spokesman said: “We are keen to speak with anyone who witnessed the collision, which happened close to the Anne Ferguson Building, Western General Hospital.”

Anyone with any information is urged to contact Lothian and Borders Police on 0131 311 3131, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Latest figures, released by Lothian and Borders Police, showed that a total of nine adults and nine children were killed on the roads in the Lothians between April and September.

During the same period 165 adults sustained serious injuries, 97 of them in Edinburgh.

Two youngsters were also badly hurt in East Lothian and Midlothian and five in West Lothian.

Another 1048 adults suffered minor injuries over the period.

Of these, 590 of the injuries occurred in the Capital.