A motorcyclist was killed yesterday on one of the north-east’s most notorious roads.
John Ogston, known to his friends as Jocky, was travelling on the A947 Aberdeen to Banff road, near Plaidy, when the accident happened at about 7.40pm.
It is understood the 54-year-old’s black Victory motorcycle collided with a grey Audi A1 before crashing through a wooden fence, landing in a field.
A nurse who was passing stopped to help Mr Ogston, but he could not be saved and was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the car, a 22-year-old woman, was uninjured.
Mr Ogston’s family in Banff were too upset to comment on the tragedy last night.
Dave Simmonds, who was visiting family in a cottage nearby, said there had been several accidents on the stretch of road and that his thoughts were with Mr Ogston’s loved ones.
He said: “We heard a motorbike but you don’t take a lot of notice because it’s a busy stretch of road.
“I didn’t hear the collision but I heard a lot of people on the road. When I went out, a nurse who had stopped was giving the man CPR.
“We’ve had three or four accidents right here and the most recent one knocked over the telegraph pole. But none were as serious as this.”
Police closed off the five-mile section of the road for six hours while collision inspectors examined the scene and tried to piece together what happened.
It is understood they undertook skid tests on the tarmac where the crash happened, and tyre marks were visible on the road.
Speaking at the scene, roads policing officer Inspector Ewan Innes said: “It was a two vehicle collision between a black Victory motorcycle and a grey Audi A1.
“Both had been travelling towards Turriff when the collision occurred and the motorcycle landed in a field.
“The motorcycle driver was a 54-year-old male who was pronounced dead at the scene by a local GP. The driver of the car was a 22-year-old woman. She was unaccompanied and uninjured.”
Investigating officers spoke to a number of witnesses at the scene, but are appealing for anyone else with information to come forward.
Insp Innes added: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the man who has died and a full collision investigation will be carried out to establish the circumstances.”
The A947 is a notoriously dangerous road for motorists, despite repeated attempts to improve safety.
Last week a man and a woman were rushed to hospital following a two-car collision on the A947 near Oldmeldrum.
In August a Turriff pensioner was killed in a head-on collision between a blue Renault Clio and a van on the A947 just north of Turriff.