Woman killed in car crash

A 38-year-old woman has died after the car she was driving crashed in to the garden of a house in the Capital.

Emergency services rushed to Gilmerton Road at around 6pm yesterday evening where they found the driver trapped in the vehicle.

Firefighters freed the woman, who was alone in the car, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Meanwhile in a separate incident, passers-by helped free a driver after one car ended up on its roof following a two-vehicle crash in Restalrig Road. No-one was seriously injured.

After the fatal accident in Gilmerton Road, part of the road, near the Morrisons supermarket, was cordoned off with police tape as officers attempted to piece together the circumstances which led to the crash. The red Vauxhall Astra hatchback had crashed through the wall of the garden into the driveway of the property.

Grace Ross, who lives near the house, said: “I was watching TV and I heard this terrific bang - I thought the house had come down, it was terrible.

“I thought what was that? When I went out and had a look I saw the car had crashed into the wall of the house and I saw the fire engine.

“There was a bus on the other side of the road at the time and I just can’t understand how the accident happened.

“Someone told me she had been travelling quite fast, but I just don’t know.”

Another woman, who lives in a neighbouring street, said: “I was at home and I heard the sirens, it’s just horrible.”

The boot of the car had sprung open and the parcel shelf had been thrown from the vehicle.

A damaged metal gate lay propped up against the wall and debris from the wall was strewn over the pavement.

The couple living in the bungalow were too upset to comment.

In the earlier incident, a black Vauxhall Corsa and a white Suzuki Swift collided in Restalrig Road close to the roundabout in Restalrig Road South at about 4.20pm. The Suzuki, which was being driven by a 43-year-old man, ended up on its roof.

Passers-by managed to help free the driver by the time police and ambulance crews arrived at the scene.

Paramedics treated the man and the 47-year-old female driver of the Corsa but neither needed to go to hospital.

The road was reopened following an accident investigation. Police are appealing for witnesses to both accidents.