Police have named a man who died after being hit by a lorry on the outskirts of an Aberdeenshire village.
Police Scotland can confirm that the pedestrian who died was 56-year-old William Black, from Turriff. He was known to all as Billy.
The collision happened on the B9005 Methlick to Fyvie road, where repairs are currently being carried out following the stormy weather earlier this month.
It was unclear last night, however, if the man had been part of the Aberdeenshire Council team working at the site.
The collision happened at around 1:50pm and involved a blue and white DAF tipper lorry.
Inspector Jon Barron, of the Divisional Road Policing Unit, said: “This was a harrowing incident for all those involved and one that has very sadly resulted in the tragic loss of life. First and foremost, our thoughts at this particularly traumatic time are with Billy’s family, friends and work colleagues.”
Police and ambulance crews were called to the scene, near Gight, at about 1.50pm, but could not save the man.
Officers closed off the road, and last night collision investigators could be seen examining a lorry and JCB digger parked within the cordon.
Speaking at the accident site Inspector Ewan Innes, of the roads policing unit, said: “At 1.50pm, there was a collision between a lorry and a male pedestrian in his 50s, as a result of which the male has died at the scene.
“The driver was not injured.”
Aberdeenshire Council workers could be seen making phone calls from the roadside, and appeared obviously upset.
But Insp Innes could not confirm if the man who died had been working at the spot of the tragedy.
“I cannot confirm that just now,” he said.
“There is work ongoing on the road, but we do not know what he was doing at this moment in time.”
A farmer who lives near the accident site said work had been going on to repair the damage caused after the River Ythan burst its banks earlier this month.
“I think the council workers were carrying out flood repair work,” she said. “It’s been bad for a while, but after the storms it got worse. From the edge of the road there was a foot drop.”
He said the road was notoriously fast, as it was “straight and downhill” and that there had been accidents at the spot in the past.