A driver was airlifted to hospital with serious head injuries after his car careered off a busy north-east road.
The 22-year-old man – who was in a serious condition in hospital last night – was travelling alone on the A98 Fraserburgh-Fochabers route when the accident happened.
Fire crews had to free him from the wreckage of his Fiat Punto.
Paramedics called to the scene asked for the support of the Inverness-based air ambulance and the driver was flown to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
Police sealed off a one-mile stretch of the A98 between the village of Crudie and the Fisherie Country Centre for more than six hours as they worked to piece-together the cause of the crash.
Traffic, including HGVs which use the busy commuter route, was diverted along a narrow farm track to the east of the scene.
Speaking at the scene, roads policing sergeant Steve Milne said: “A single vehicle came off the road and ended up in the driveway of a home.
“As far as we can tell at this stage, only one vehicle was involved. A single male is seriously injured and was taken to ARI by air ambulance.”
Sgt Milne said: “It’s early in the inquiries and we would appeal to any witnesses to come forward and help with investigations.
“We’re carrying out a full scene survey which will take several hours.”
Last night a spokesman for the force issued another appeal for information.
He said: “Police have appealed for witnesses following a serious one-vehicle collision which happened on the A98 Banff to Fraserburgh road near Crudie at around 7.25am today.
“The 22-year-old man who was driving the car and sole occupant of the vehicle was airlifted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary with serious injuries.
“Any witnesses to the collision, or who saw the vehicle involved, a red Fiat Punto, being driven beforehand, are asked to contact Police on 101.”
Elsewhere on the north-east’s icy rural routes, a white Peugeot van and a Ford Mustang “muscle car” collided on the notorious A947 Aberdeen-Banff road between Turriff and Fyvie.
Police received an emergency call at 9.30am and temporarily closed the road while those involved were treated for their injuries and taken to hospital.
One driver was taken to ARI with leg injuries and another person was treated at Turriff Cottage Hospital for minor injuries.
Nine people have been killed and more than 40 seriously injured on the A947 in the last six years.