A 72-year-old woman was seriously injured after being trapped under a heavy goods vehicle for 40 minutes in the centre of St Andrews.
Witnesses said she fell from the pavement into the path of the oncoming HGV, which was travelling down Bell Street.
The pensioner was taken to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee following a large-scale response from the emergency services.
One witness, who works in a Bell Street shop, said: “She seemed to lose her balance and when she fell her arm was on the road as the truck came.
“She was under the truck for maybe 40 minutes. She was in shock and shaking.
“She screamed when it happened but after that was quiet. She was very brave and calm, but maybe that was just the shock.”
The witness said that she, along with other shop workers, used advertising boards for their businesses to create a barrier around the injured woman.
A tarpaulin tent was thrown up near the HGV once the emergency services arrived.
The road remained cordoned off at both ends late into the evening, with police officers standing guard at the street.
Two ambulances and a specialist trauma team were sent to the scene, while the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service confirmed they were also in attendance and had three appliances on scene.
A heavy rescue unit was also tasked to attend as firefighters fought to shift the HGV.
At least six police cars were part of the rapid emergency response after a 999 call was made at around 3.20pm.
The witness added: “We were all asking if she was alive but she was in a bad state and she was losing a lot of blood.
“There was a little girl who saw it and was hysterical. Her mother dragged her away from it so she didn’t have to see.
“The truck was going very slow down the road, so it was just horrible timing.
“The driver was shaking and his face was white, he was in shock. I feel sorry for him. The police took him away to calm him down, I think, and to ask questions.
“It was a shock to see. I will never forget it.”
A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “We were in attendance after a 72-year- old woman was involved in a road traffic accident. She sustained serious injuries and is currently receiving treatment at Ninewells Hospital.”
Buses were diverted around the town while the emergency cordon was in place.
smilne@thecourier.co.uk