Range Rover mows down tragic students

TWO young women were killed on a busy city street yesterday after a car struck them as they were about to cross the road.

• The Range Rover was brought to a halt after it crashed into a second lamppost, which topped over on top of the vehicle. Picture: PA

Friends Mhairi Convy, 18, and Laura Stewart, 20, were waiting to cross near Buchanan Street Bus Station in Glasgow at about 11am when a green Range Rover veered on to the pavement.

Ms Convy, from Lennoxtown, Stirlingshire, and Ms Stewart, from Cumbernauld, were students at the nearby Glasgow College of Commerce.

Witnesses said the 4x4 had swerved to avoid a bus and hit the first victim as she stepped off the pavement.

The driver was said to have swerved again and hit the other woman, as well as another two pedestrians who were taken to hospital. The 50-year-old male Range Rover driver was also taken to the Western Infirmary. All three were last night said to be in a stable condition.

The car came to a stop only after it collided with two lampposts - the second one toppled over on top of it.

Janet Brown, 40, was walking to work when she witnessed the incident.

She said: "I saw the 4x4 come speeding up the road. It was flying.

"Then it met a bus and had to swerve drastically to avoid it. The car hit the first girl as she was stepping off the pavement.

"She was thrown clear over the top of it, then the car swerved and hit the other girl who was thrown into the air and landed on the road. It all happened in seconds."

Passers-by said the girls were left lying injured in the road, with their belongings and clothes, including a handbag, pink gloves and boots, strewn around the scene.

Workers trained in first-aid from the nearby bus station and a passing doctor battled to save the girls' lives. They were then rushed to Glasgow Royal Infirmary but were pronounced dead on arrival.

The incident happened, at the junction of North Hanover Street and Killermont Street, close to the city's John Lewis store.

Witnesses said they had not been crossing the road together when they were hit by the Range Rover.

Four ambulances and a number of police cars rushed to the scene. About ten officers were at the scene and they closed off the busy road so they could launch an investigation into the incident.

Jim Orr, 49, who was working at the bus station when the accident happened, said: "I saw two girls lying in the road. One had obviously been hit with such force her shoes had come off. She was just wearing her socks.

"Her handbag had gone flying too. The paramedics were doing their best to save them, but you could see that it was too late.

"They were such young girls.It's absolutely tragic. I think I'm still in shock."

Michael Lawson, 70, also works at the bus station and heard the bang when the car went into the lampposts.

He said: "I saw one of the girls in the road and her face was covered in blood. It looked awful.

"They were just ordinary girls. Probably students. I can't believe something like that can just happen on the street.

"One of our first-aid workers from the bus station was trying to help. He just looked ashen when he walked away from the scene."

A spokeswoman for the Scottish Ambulance Service said: "Two women were left with serious injuries after they were hit by a vehicle.

"Two other pedestrians were taken to the Western Infirmary with ankle and back pain.

"The male driver was taken to the same hospital with back injuries.

"Their injuries are not thought to be life-threatening."

Inspector Kenny Welsh, who is leading the investigation into the incident for Strathclyde Police, said it was too early to say whether criminal charges would be brought but proceedings could not be ruled out.