A MAN and a woman were killed last night and another driver was seriously injured in a two-vehicle crash on a north-east road.
The accident happened on the A952 Mintlaw-Fraserburgh road, about a mile north of Mintlaw near the Hythie junction just after 6pm. A red Vauxhall Corsa and a white Vauxhall Corsa van were involved in the smash.
Police said the male driver and female passenger of one of the vehicles suffered fatal injuries and the male driver of the other vehicle was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary with serious injuries.
A spokeswoman said he could not reveal the names or ages of those involved because next of kin had yet to be contacted last night.
Firefighters from Maud and Peterhead stations used cutting gear to free one person from the wreckage.
The accident happened shortly after a rush-hour pile-up on the A90 Aberdeen-Peterhead road that resulted in two people needing hospital treatment.
The A952 was closed in both directions for several hours to allow police investigations to be carried out.
Sergeant David Pirie said: “Obviously our thoughts and condolences go out to the families of those involved at this terrible time, and I would appeal to anyone who witnessed either of the vehicles being driven near the locus about the time to come forward.
“I am keen to establish the full facts and circumstances to identify the cause of this tragedy.”
Local councillor Jim Ingram urged anyone with information to come forward.
“I was at a meeting and heard that police were stopping vehicles heading out of Mintlaw but I did not realise the accident was a serious one,” he said.
“This is very sad news for the families and friends of those involved and also for the driver of the other vehicle.
“My heart goes out to them and I hope that, if anyone can provide any clues about what happened at all, they will contact the police.”
A spokeswoman for the ambulance service confirmed one patient had been taken from the scene to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
The earlier crash involved a car, a silver Volkswagen van and a white VDL Bova coach and happened at about 4pm at the Toll of Birness junction on the A90.
The trunk road remained open throughout while police directed traffic and squads from Bear Scotland cleared up a large fuel spillage.
Traffic heading north was queued back to the junction for Auchmacoy between Ellon and Toll of Birness, while southbound vehicles were stacked back to the Berryslacks turnoff. It is understood that two people were taken to hospital with minor injuries.
One of those, the driver of the bus, operated by Fraserburgh firm Watermill Coaches, was believed to have suffered injuries to his hands.
A fellow bus driver who stopped at the scene said: “The bus was empty thankfully but the driver has had to go to hospital to be checked out.”
The force of the impact caused severe damage to the front of the coach and the rear of the van, which belonged to Ellon-based plastering firm Alan Donald Ltd.
Wet plaster was left splattered across the front of the coach and at the side of the road.
A police spokesman said: “The accident was not particularly serious and we managed to keep the road open throughout while the carriageway was cleared.
“Two people were injured as a result of the collision. However, their injuries were not thought to have been serious.”
No one from Watermill Coaches was available to comment last night.