THE ICY weather blasting the east of Scotland claimed its first victim yesterday when a man died after his car left the A90 Brechin bypass and slipped 30 feet down an embankment.

The man, who has not been named by police, was driving a BMW which left the northbound carriageway about one mile south of Edzell shortly after 11am.

His grey BMW 5 series was the third car to go off the road and down the embankment.

Earlier a green Rover 400 left the road, followed by a black and silver Mitsubishi pick-up.

None of the vehicles is understood to have collided, but it is believed the weather conditions played a part in the incident.

The deceased man, who is understood to be in his early 50s and from Aberdeenshire, had been helped from his vehicle by police and ambulance staff, along with members of the public who had stopped to help.

But his condition rapidly deteriorated and despite efforts of the emergency services he was declared dead at the scene. No one else is believed to have been injured in the incident.

Traffic restrictions were put in place until mid-afternoon whilst accident investigators carried out inquiries.

As heavy snowfalls continued last night the A93 was closed between Glenshee in Perth and Kinross and Braemar in Aberdeenshire, according to the Traffic Scotland website.

Drivers were also urged not to use the A957 between Stonehaven and Banchory because of “treacherous conditions.”

Elsewhere in Tayside, four people were injured yesterday morning in a three-car accident on the A9 at the Inveralmond roundabout in Perth.

The incident took place at 11.40am when one of the cars crossed the central reservation and collided with a marked police car and another vehicle. The accident led to the northbound carriageway being closed for around one hour.

The injured included two police officers in the marked car.

A police spokesperson said, “The accident occurred at the Inveralmond roundabout when a green Volvo F80, which was travelling south, crossed the central reservation and collided with a northbound marked Tayside Police Vauxhall Astra and a northbound light blue Vauxhall Corsa.

“The occupants of the Volvo, a man and a woman, were taken by ambulance to PRI where their injuries are described as being not life threatening.

“The female police driver and her male colleague were treated for minor cuts. The occupants of the Vauxhall Corsa were not injured.”

She added, “The A9 was open southbound but the northbound carriageway was closed for around one hour to allow accident investigators to examine the scene and to remove the vehicles from the carriageway.”

Police have appealed for witnesses to the accidents. For the A90 accident, anyone who was in the area at the time of the incident should phone (01307) 302200. Anyone who witnessed the Perth collision should contact police on 01738 621141.

In Fife yesterday, motorists struggled in icy conditions which led to a number of minor accidents across the region.

In Dunfermline, two men had to be freed by the fire service after a shunt near Carnegie College in Halbeath at about 3pm.

Police described the road as being “like a sheet of ice,” but said no one had been seriously injured in any of the incidents.

A police spokeswoman in Fife said the combination of rain and snow had made the roads dangerous.

Grit laid down by the local authority could be washed away by rain before snowfall, leading to treacherous black ice.

She said, “The local council are trying to get round everywhere but they can only do it as fast as they can.

“We’re letting them know what the priority areas are.”

Most parts of Fife witnessed brief snow showers throughout the day.

But the weather did little to disrupt traffic although it caused several minor accidents on the M90, on the A92 and in the north-east of the region.

An accident involving a lorry and a car on the A92, near the Balfarg junction at Glenrothes, partially blocked the carriageway for almost three hours.

The incident which occurred around 3.45pm resulted in southbound traffic queuing as far back as Freuchie, while northbound traffic was diverted until the lorry was recovered at around 6.30pm.

As temperatures fell in the evening police said icy conditions were posing a hazard for motorists.

One road, the Cluny road from Kirkcaldy, was closed due to black ice.

In the Forfar area, drivers making their way to work yesterday encountered tricky conditions on the first proper snows of winter, but despite several heavy showers, police reported no major road problems.

Officers attended a three-vehicle accident at the Forfar by-pass junction with the A94 shortly after 3pm, but no one was injured.

In Dundee, a woman was taken to hospital after the bus she was travelling on was involved in an accident.

It was one of a number of minor accidents that occurred in the city yesterday due to adverse weather, with snow, hail, rain and sleet falling intermittently.

The woman passenger, suffered arm injuries and was taken to Ninewells Hospital after the single-decker Strathtay bus was involved in an accident with two other vehicles on Victoria Road at around 3.15pm.

She was later released from hospital.

Police reported minor obstructions on the road while they attended the scene.

Just over an hour later, a vehicle lost control and struck a fence at the top of City Road, again due to road conditions, but the 24-year-old female driver was unhurt.

Earlier in the day, a car skidded and struck another vehicle on Coupar Angus Road near Faraday Street just after 2pm. No injuries were reported as a result of the incident.

Gritters were out early to prepare for the “big freeze” after the Met Office issued severe weather warnings for parts of the UK.

Tayside Police said last night that, apart from the Ardler area of Dundee, conditions in the city did not appear to be too bad.

In other parts of Tayside, Brechin High Street was closed at around 7pm due to severe weather conditions.

The public are being advised to take extra care whilst out and about in the coming days, allowing themselves extra time for journeys and only travelling if necessary.

For updates on road conditions, visit the Traffic Scotland website at www.trafficscotland.org.