The tragic death of a woman driver on one of Scotland’s most notorious roads at the weekend has led to renewed calls for priority upgrading.
The woman succumbed to her injuries shortly after being involved in a two-car collision on the A9, one mile south of Pitlochry at East Haugh. Although her details will not be released until next of kin have been informed (see update below), it is believed that she was an American tourist.
She is the third person this year to die following an accident on the northbound route and increased pressure is now being placed on the Scottish Government to take urgent action.
While the incident took place on a dualled stretch of the A9, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife Murdo Fraser told The Courier that the ever-changing layout makes it more likely for motorists from outwith Perthshire to be involved in a collision.
“There is a particular problem with people from outwith the area being involved due to the current configuration where the road goes from single to double and back again,” he said.
“This makes it very easy for people who are unfamiliar with the road to get confused. I am not surprised that the fatalities have involved people from overseas or other parts of the UK.
“We know from statistics that the A9 is the most dangerous road in Scotland and here we have yet another sad fatality which has added to the figures that prove the need for investment in safety improvements on the A9.
“The SNP Government is committed to taking forward the strategic transport projects review, which includes the upgrading of the A9. This will only add to the pressure on them to do it quickly because otherwise, we will continue to see more and more accidents and fatalities.”
Following the accident, which took place on Sunday at around 4.40pm, the victim had been trapped in the wreckage of a Kia Sedona, which tipped on to its side after a crash with a Volkswagen Golf. After being assessed at the roadside, she was rushed by ambulance to Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, where she died from her injuries.
The male driver and two passengers of the Golf were also taken to Ninewells for treatment, although their injuries were described as minor.
Any witnesses to the accident should contact police on 0300 111 2222.
UPDATE: The victim of the accident has been named as Laura Drewyor (52) of North Carolina. Click here for more information.