Police have launched an urgent appeal for witnesses after a horrific north-east crash left a man and a woman in critical condition.
The collision outside Delgatie Castle on an unclassified road between Turriff and Cuminestown happened at around 11.47am on Sunday.
The two-vehicle incident left four people trapped inside the vehicles and a total of six casualties.
One of the cars – a black Citroen C2 – came to rest on a tree stump overhanging a stream.
The 30-year-old male driver sustained “serious injuries” and remains in a critical condition in hospital.
A woman who was a passenger in the other vehicle – a red Volkswagen Golf – was airlifted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary where she is also in a critical condition. It is understood the 42-year-old sustained head injuries.
An 18-year-old woman who was a passenger in the Volkswagen suffered a serious leg injury, but is in a stable condition. The other three occupants of the Volkswagen sustained minor injuries.
The road was closed for more than seven hours while forensic crash investigators scanned and photographed the scene.
The two vehicles collided on a long straight section of road which crosses a narrow stream near a local trout fishery. The cars came to rest on verges on either side of the tarmac and glass and debris was scattered along the carriageway.
Last night, Sergeant Colin Matheson said: “I would like to appeal to anyone who may have seen the incident and has not yet spoken to police to please come forward with any information.
“Likewise, anyone who may have seen either vehicle in the time leading up to the collision should also get in touch with police on 101 as we try to piece together exactly what happened.”
Another north-east route was closed by police yesterday following a two-vehicle smash.
The incident happened on the A96 Aberdeen to Inverness road at the Huntly bypass at shortly after 9.30am. Police, ambulance and fire crews were all called to the scene.
A spokeswoman for the fire service said: “We sent two crews from Huntly and a female passenger was removed from one of the vehicles.”
It is understood the woman sustained minor injuries. The road was re-opened at around 11.15am after the cars were cleared from the carriageway.