Two men died yesterday following smashes in the Highlands and Argyll.
A young driver in his 20s, believed to be a foreign national, suffered serious injuries after a head-on crash with a lorry on the A9 on Wednesday night and died in Raigmore Hospital in Inverness yesterday.
The other victim was a 62-year-old minibus driver killed in a head-on crash involving a car in southern Argyll at 7.13am yesterday. He was pronounced dead at the scene on the A83 Tarbert to Lochgilphead road near the Kennacraig ferry terminal. Ten male minibus passengers were taken to hospital.
It is understood the northbound minibus was a Macleod Construction works vehicle taking staff to work.
Four injured passengers were taken by ambulance to Campbeltown Hospital where they are still receiving treatment.
The other passengers were taken to Mid Argyll Hospital in Lochgilphead but one has since been airlifted to the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow and another has been airlifted to the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley.
The 21-year-old driver of the southbound Mitsubishi car was taken to Campbeltown Hospital but released after treatment for minor injuries.
The crash cut-off road access to the Kintyre peninsula and to the Islay ferry terminal at Kennacraig, and passengers travelling to Islay and Colonsay were advised to go via Oban instead. The junction to the alternative B-road down the east coast of the peninsula was also cut off by the crash.
The road and the ferry terminal were closed for most of the day as specialist crash scene investigators carried out tests and the road reopened at 4.50pm.
The other crash happened at 7.15pm on Wednesday half a mile south of the Carrbridge junction on the main Inverness-Perth road.
The lone car driver was travelling south when the crash with the northbound Olivers Transport Scania HGV occurred.
He was trapped in the wreckage of his Polish-registered Nissan Almera for more than 40 minutes before being cut free by fire crews and taken to hospital for treatment to serious injuries.
Yesterday morning police said he was in a “serious condition” in the intensive care unit.
But they announced last night he had died as a result of his injuries.
The lorry driver, who is in his 40s, was taken to Aviemore Health Centre with minor injuries.
Kelso-based haulage firm Olivers Transport refused to comment on the accident or on the driver’s condition yesterday.
It is understood the accident was not caused by an overtaking manoeuvre but police said yesterday they were could not disclose possible causes of the crash.
Anyone with information regarding either incident is asked to contact police on 101.