A black day on Fife’s roads saw a teenager killed and a cyclist left fighting for life in hospital after incidents that happened within a few hours of each other.
At around 9.45am on Saturday, a 19-year-old man died after the Citroen Saxo he was driving crashed into railings under the bridge beside Lochgelly railway station.
At 12.30pm, just two miles away at the Old Perth Road in Cowdenbeath, a 63-year-old cyclist sustained serious head injuries after being involved in an accident with a car.
He was taken to Queen Margaret Hospital in Dunfermline and later transferred to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, where his condition last night was described as critical but stable.
It is understood the victim of the Lochgelly crash, who is believed to have been a local, was not wearing a seatbelt and died at the scene after being thrown from the vehicle.
A police source said a seatbelt could have saved his life.
He would be named after next of kin had formally identified the body.
The passenger in the car, an 18-year-old woman, was also hurt in the crash, but her injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
The Courier understands she had been wearing a seatbelt.
No other vehicles were involved.
According to local sources, the Citroen had been overtaking a bus when it went out of control.
Police said the car was travelling south when the accident happened. They appealed for anyone who witnessed the crash to contact them on 0845 600 5702.Road closedThe road remained closed until around 5pm while investigators examined the scene.
A resident said he saw the car being lifted on to the back of a lorry and taken away at around 3pm.
“The car was in a pretty bad state and there was a big police presence as they carried out investigations on site,” he said. “I live right at the end of the road and it was pandemonium.
“Station Road is the main artery to the Benarty area and all the buses were backed up, but the disruption is of little importance when someone has actually lost their life.
“Lochgelly is a small community and if you don’t know someone directly, nine times out of 10 you will know someone who does.”
Local councillor Mark Hood said, “I’m really concerned that someone has lost their life in a road accident in the town and I will be liaising with police to see what can be done, if anything, to ensure that a similar accident is prevented from happening in the future.
“My deepest sympathies go to family and friends of the deceased.”
Lochgelly Community Council secretary Christine McGrath said her daughter, who is confined to a wheelchair as a result of a car accident and promotes the Safe Drive Stay Alive campaign, had been touched by the incident.
She said, “She was saying that she wondered if he had seen the roadshow because one of the messages they are trying to get across is that you should always wear a seatbelt. It was such a tragic thing to happen.
“These things affect whole families. Everyone here was shocked.”
Because the accident had blocked the access road to the station, passengers travelling to Lochgelly by rail were asked to disembark at Cowdenbeath and speak to station staff to arrange alternative transport to the town.