THREE adults and a young child died yesterday in a horrific fireball crash on a notorious stretch of road in the Highlands.
The incident happened yesterday afternoon on a single carriageway stretch of the A9 at The Slochd, between Aviemore and Inverness. Reports say a Volvo and a pick-up truck burst into flames after being involved in a high-speed head-on collision.
Pa
ssing motorists present at the scene, close to a popular tourist beauty spot known as The German's Head, attempted to rescue the casualties from the burning wreckage, but only two of the six people involved are believed to have survived. They were taken to hospital, where their conditions were described as "serious". Less than an hour later, Highland rescue services were stretched by a second fatal crash 32 miles further north on the B9163 between Conon Bridge and Culbokie.
A woman was killed instantly after her car left the road near Urquhart burial ground, making her the 11th victim on Highland roads in the past seven weeks.
One motorist who witnessed the A9 crash said one of the vehicles involved narrowly missed his own car and ploughed into the vehicle behind. Ben Hayes, 34, was driving north with his partner and nine-week-old baby when a car swerved towards him from the opposite side, he said.
"It started to drift across the road so I pulled in as tight as I could. It hit the car behind us head on," he said. "I saw it in the mirror, and it burst into flames. It didn't look like anybody would be walking away from it."
It is believed that the occupants of the Volvo were a Dutch family holidaying in the area. The male driver and his two-year-old son were killed instantly, while a man and woman in the pick-up truck, believed to be from the Fife area, were also killed.
A female survivor was taken by helicopter to Raigmore hospital in Inverness, while a four-year-old girl was taken by road ambulance. A second eyewitness said: "It is a miracle anyone survived. Both vehicles were welded together by the heat.
"It was impossible to tell what make of pick-up truck was involved. It ended up on top of the Volvo. They were both burned-out shells."
Northern Constabulary's Chief Inspector Jim Neill said: "It was an horrific incident for everyone to deal with. Anyone who is driving on the A9 should be aware of the speed limits and take extreme care, especially foreign motorists."
The road was closed for several hours and diversions put in place. Motorists were advised to avoid the area as long tailbacks were reported.
News of the deaths is likely to intensify calls for changes to the A9, which has gained a reputation as one of Scotland's most treacherous roads.
A campaign is already under way to persuade the Scottish Government to widen the entire stretch from Perth to Inverness to double-carriageway status. Murdo Fraser MSP, deputy leader of the Scottish Conservatives, last week added his voice to calls for an upgrade, saying statistics showed accidents were four times more likely to happen on stretches of the A9 which were single carriageway.
He was speaking after an accident last weekend in which a man and his granddaughter were killed after being involved in a four-vehicle collision north of Dalwhinnie.
