Oil company boss killed in Porsche crash

THE managing director of an oil company has died after his Porsche Carrera overturned in heavy rain on a motorway.

Ian Pace, 46, a father of two from Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, was managing director of oil company Oil States Industries UK.

Mr Pace was driving north on the M90 near Perth when his silver sports car collided with the crash barrier.

The car overturned and came to rest on its roof across the carriageway.

Police, paramedics and members of Tayside Fire and Rescue were alerted by other motorists following the crash on Wednesday evening near Junction 10 at Craigend.

Mr Pace, who was alone in the car, was found trapped in the upturned vehicle, and declared dead at the scene by paramedics .

Tayside Police appealed for witnesses to the incident, which occurred "during poor weather conditions with heavy rain and surface water".

The collision caused a six-hour closure of the northbound M90 from the Kinross junction to Craigend at Perth while a police crash investigation was launched, and the car recovered.

Motorists on the carriageway waited more than an hour before eventually being diverted off the road on to the A912 and through Bridge of Earn and Perth.

Friends of Mr Pace paid tribute to him as "a devoted family man, top businessman and a great friend".

Mr Pace, who is survived by his wife Alison and two young sons, Cameron and Scott, had grown up in Stonehaven and attended the local Mackie Academy.

He was devoted to his family, but had given much of his spare time to the Mackie Academy FP Rugby Club, where he played centre in the 1st XV for more than a decade before starting to sponsor the club as his business career took off.

The club president Bob Richmond, 60, said: "I'm devastated. Ian was a very good friend, as well as a stalwart of the club.

"He started playing for the club after leaving school and university, and held down a regular place as a hard-running, tough- tackling centre for ten or 12 years right up in to his thirties.

"He had a great career at Oil States, where he became managing director, and though he stopped playing to concentrate on his work, he kept involved by sponsoring the club. And recently you'd always see him at Saturday mini rugby watching the kids play, and at tournaments.

"There was a great camaraderie about the club, and Ian was a big part of that. But Ian's first love was his family.

"His wife Alison is also known around the rugby club, and the thoughts of everyone are with Alison and the boys. He's a good man lost."Mr Pace's family said they were too upset to speak about their tragic loss.

Neville Gall, a colleague at Oil States, where Mr Pace was made managing director in charge of the company's three sites, Aberdeen, Bathgate and Barrow, in 2010, said: "Ian was a good friend to many that worked with him at Oil States and he was also a highly respected and capable business leader, recently promoted to the role of UK managing director.

"All at Oil States are stunned by this news and our thoughts are very much with Ian's wife and family at this very difficult time."

A police spokesman said: "We are keen to speak with anyone who was travelling on the M90 motorway between Kinross and Perth and may have witnessed the collision or observed a silver coloured Porsche travelling on the M90 motorway between Kinross and Perth at the relevant time.

"Inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the incident are ongoing and a report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal."