Tributes have been paid to a “real character” who died in a car crash on the A96.
Police yesterday named Alexander ‘Sandy’ Ogg, from Drumblade near Huntly, as the 67 year old victim of Monday’s accident on the main road between Aberdeen and Inverness.
Mr Ogg was driving a red Renault Master van on the Inverurie to Huntly stretch close to Roy’s Bus Pitstop Cafe between Pitcaple and the Oyne fork when it was in a collision with a white Honda Jazz.
The 85-year-old driver of the other vehicle is still in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (ARI) with serious injuries.
Mr Ogg was a joiner before he retired in 2015 and well known in Huntly and the surrounding areas.
He was a widower following the death of his wife Hazel last year, but is survived by a daughter and a son.
Huntly residents Hamish and Carolyn Dean were friends with Mr Ogg for many years and last night paid tribute to him.
Mr Dean said: “Sandy was a great friend of mine.
“I had known him since we served our time as apprentice joiners together many years ago.
“Ever since then we have worked together and been friends with each other.
“He was a real character and you were never short of a laugh when Sandy was around – there was always plenty of jokes and lots of hilarity and stories.
“I’m very sorry that this has happened and yesterday was a very sad day when I heard that Sandy had died.
“We will dearly miss Sandy because we used to meet up on a regular basis and we also went on caravanning holidays together so it’s a huge loss.”
Mrs Dean added: “I was friends with his wife Hazel at school so as a couple we were always very close to Sandy and Hazel.
“He worked mainly in Huntly and the surrounding areas and that meant that around the town he was someone that was very well known.”
Another Huntly resident, who wished to remain anonymous, also had some kind words to say about Mr Ogg.
He said: “I didn’t know him particularly well but he was very popular in the local area and someone that you could talk to easily if you ever saw him out and about in Huntly.”