Two fatalities after two-car crash at Woods of Delgaty, near Turriff

Girl, 15, in Volkswagen Polo dies at scene and driver, 18, fails to survive after airlift to hospital

By Shona Gossip and John Thomson

Published:

DEATH SCENE: Aftermath of the fatal crash on a bend on the Turriff to Cuminestown road. Raymond Besant

Two teenagers died and two other people were injured last night in a road accident near Turriff.

A 15-year-old girl, understood to be a passenger in a red Volkswagen Polo, was pronounced dead at the scene, while the 18-year-old male driver of the car was flown by helicopter to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary with serious injuries. He later died in hospital.

The second, female passenger of the red car, as well as the female driver of a black Vauxhall Astra, were taken by ambulance to the same hospital.

The two-car collision happened on the unclassified Turriff to Cuminestown road, at the Woods of Del-gaty, near the turn-off to Muiryfold farm at around 7.30pm.

Two ambulances as well as two fire engines from Turriff and Macduff attended the scene, while police blocked off the road to allow collision inspectors to begin their investigations.

Inspector Graham Sloan from Grampian Police’s roads policing unit said the dead teenagers appeared to be local to the Cuminestown and Turriff area, but that details would not be released until next of kin had been informed.

He added: “The driver of the car the 15-year-old was in was airlifted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary in a serious condition. The driver of the other car and the passenger of the car the deceased were in are described as walking wounded.”

The road remained closed for about six hours.

A spokeswoman for Grampian Fire and Rescue Service said: “No one was trapped and our cutting gear was not in use.”

Chairman of the Formartine area community safety group and former councillor Alistair Strachan said the road was not known as an accident blackspot.

He said: “There have been accidents at the Muiryfold turn-off.

“A few folk get caught out there, but that tends to be mainly in the winter.

“Recently the A947 Turriff to Aberdeen road has been a problem area but not so much the side roads.”

Turriff and district councillor Sandy Duncan said: “There is a bend on the road there and I have seen marks on the bank so some people do get caught out.”

Insp Sloan appealed for anyone who witnessed the accident, or who saw either the red or black cars before the crash to contact police on 0845 600 5700.