A YOUNG mother has died in an early-morning smash on the outskirts of a north-east port.
Lisa Franklin was killed when her car was involved in a collision with a van at Peterhead’s South Base Road.
Mrs Franklin, 27, from Aberdeen, was declared dead at the scene.
It is understood she had been driving away from her work at offshore services firm Asco when the accident happened.
The company’s boss described her last night as a “much-valued” employee.
Mrs Franklin, who has a three-year-old daughter, was alone in her red Vauxhall Corsa when it was involved in a collision with a white Ford Transit.
The van’s driver and two male passengers were badly hurt, but police said their injuries were not thought to be life-threatening.
One of the front-seat passengers – who had to be cut free from the Transit by firefighters – was airlifted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, while the two other men were taken to hospital by road. It is understood the workers were employed by construction firm Luddon and had travelled from Glasgow for a job at the new HMP Grampian jail, which is being built nearby.
Investigators are trying to establish whether ice on the road was a factor in the crash, which happened just after 8am yesterday. Inspector Ewan Innes, from the Aberdeenshire and Moray road policing unit, urged witnesses to get in touch with officers.
He said: “This was a tragic incident resulting in the death of a young driver and our thoughts are with her family and friends at this difficult time.
“Inquiries into the circumstances of the incident are continuing and I am appealing to anyone who witnessed the incident or saw a red Vauxhall Corsa or white Ford Transit van being driven on South Base Road at Peterhead at around 8am to contact us.”
Last night, Andrew Macdonald, chief executive officer for Asco in Europe, paid tribute to the mother of one.
“We are all deeply shocked,” he said.
“Lisa was a much-valued member of the team. Our thoughts and prayers are with her husband Craig, her brother Shaun – who also worked with Asco – and all of her family.”
Several police vehicles, three ambulances, a trauma team and an air ambulance went to the scene after the alarm was raised yesterday morning.
A fire service spokesman said: “Fire crews attended and used cutting gear to remove one casualty.”
Last night, Mrs Franklin’s family in Peterhead were too upset to talk about the tragedy.
The former Dyce Academy pupil, who was due to celebrate her birthday next week, married freight services worker Craig at Craigiebuckler Parish Church in September 2009.
The pair had met at work seven years earlier.
Speaking at the time of her wedding, she said: “We were friends before romance blossomed. One night, I had a moment of clarity and realised Craig was the one for me.”
South Base Road, which was closed for six hours after the accident, runs from the McDonald’s roundabout on the A90 Peterhead-Aberdeen trunk route to the Asco premises at the south-east of the port.
Police have urged witnesses to yesterday’s accident to contact them on 101, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.