A Perth student who survived a horrific road accident said she is lucky to be alive.
Keen photographer Emma Kirk was trapped in her overturned car after it plunged down an embankment in highland Perthshire and burst into flames.
The 32-year-old, from Perth, was driving to Pitlochry to try to take pictures of the Northern Lights with her friend, photographer Mark Angus.
They were travelling towards Kinloch Rannoch when her vehicle skidded on black ice, struck a pole and flew off the road.
As the pair tried to fight their way out, the car overturned several times before coming to a halt, upside down, in remote woods.
Emma’s pet pug dog Frankie was also in the car at the time.
Recovering at home after the December 6 accident, Emma praised the ambulance crews that came to her rescue.
She said: “We had taken a few pictures before the accident.
“We had got back in the car, and we slid just before it happened. Mark said it was black ice.
“The car was going everywhere. We came round a bend and all I can remember is hitting a post.
“We initially crashed into a black and white bollard. Mark said there was smoke and flames everywhere.
“I couldn’t see it, I had my eyes closed, but I could remember smelling the smoke. He went to kick his window open, and as he did we went over the edge.”
She said: “The car rolled over about four times, I think. I don’t remember much. It was all a bit of a blur. We were upside down.
“He got the window open, and then got out. My belt would not come off, it was stuck.”
Mark, 37 and also from Perth, returned to her rescue and managed to get the seatbelt off and pull Emma out.
“Just as he got me out, the next car to come along just happened to be a doctor,” said Emma.
She said she did not get the name of the doctor, but wanted to pass on her gratitude.
Three teams from the Scottish Ambulance Service were quickly dispatched, including emergency responders Selene Rae, Louise Manley, Alasdair Fyfe and Tom Woodstone.
Emma said: “I’m not sure how long we were in the car. It could have been 10 seconds, it could have been very quick, but I don’t remember tumbling at all.
“I thought ‘this is a bad rollercoaster – I’m hanging upside down’. I was more worried about my dog. He was checking if I was okay, but all I asked was: ‘Where’s the dog?’ Frankie was fine.”
Emma and Mark were checked by the doctor at the scene, and an ambulance was called.
They were both taken to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee and discharged the next day. Frankie spent some time at Perth Police Station while Emma recovered.
Amazingly, they had both walked away relatively unscathed: Emma had bruising to her shoulder and collarbone, plus a few cuts, while Mark suffered back pain.
A few days later, Emma and Mark were taken by a friend to see the car, which was still overturned off the B847 near Drumglass.
Emma said: “We got some pictures of it and all the camera gear out of the car.
“We are extremely lucky, considering how bad the accident was, and how bad the car was.
“We are so lucky none of us died – yes, we are sore, but that’s to be expected. All the ambulance service staff were so lovely. I also wanted to thank the doctor – I have no idea who she was, but she was lovely.”
