By Bruce Fegen

A HORRIFIC road accident claimed the lives of two Fife men at the weekend. David Smart (39), of MacDuff Street, East Wemyss, and Ross Bennett (28), of Whyte Rose Terrace, Methil, were killed when two cars collided at a T-junction on the outskirts of Buckhaven shortly after noon on Saturday.

Mr Bennett, who worked as a warehouseman and was single, was driving a white Honda which was in a collision with a blue Subaru Imprezza in which Mr Smart was a passenger.

The Honda was virtually torn in half and wreckage was littered over a wide area.

The male driver of the Subaru, whose details have not been released, was taken to Queen Margaret Hospital in Dunfermline, but his injuries were said not to be life-threatening.

Police said that the accident happened as the Honda was turning at the junction of the A955 East Wemyss-Buckhaven Road and the B930, known locally as Percival Road, and confirmed that both Mr Bennett and Mr Smart died at the scene.

Anne Bruce and her husband Dave live in a cottage at the junction and were sitting chatting to their daughter Claire and her partner Martin when they heard a tremendous crash.

Said Anne, “Dave jumped up and looked out of the window and shouted for me to dial 999 because there had been a really bad accident.

“Then he ran out to see what he could do to help. There was smoke coming from one of cars and a lot of petrol, so our neighbour cut the battery cables and people from the pub across the road used a fire extinguisher on the car.”

Drinkers at the Buck And Hind pub heard a loud bang and rushed outside to find a scene of devastation.

One of them was Davie Crockett, an ambulanceman from north Wales who is holidaying in the area.

He said, “It was horrific. I tried to help, but there was nothing I could do.

“One of the drivers was out of his car and I sat him down and then the ambulance arrived.”

Mr Smart, a mechanic, lived with his partner Debbie and their three-year-old son. Local councillor Andrew Rodger said, “David was a happy-go-lucky sort of chap who would do anything for anybody.”

Mrs Bruce, who has lived in the cottage for more than 20 years, said, “This is a bad junction and something needs to be done to slow down the traffic coming from East Wemyss into Buckhaven.

“There have been a lot of accidents and two years ago an American woman drove into our house, causing some structural damage. I asked the council to put up a barrier but they said it wasn’t an accident blackspot and they didn’t have any money.”

Mr Rodger said he would be talking to council officials to see if anything could be done.

He added, “East Wemyss and Coaltown of Wemyss are to have 20 mph zones because of the primary schools there and that means more traffic will probably use Percival Road.

“I think something has to be done and I will speaking to our transportation services.”

Police yesterday appealed for anyone with information about the accident, or who saw either vehicle being driven immediately prior to the collision, to contact them on 01592 231111.

A report on the accident will be submitted to the procurator fiscal at Kirkcaldy.