Tributes have been paid to a young man was killed instantly in a car crash that left his sister and three others in hospital.
The victim, who has been named locally as farm worker William Sangster, from Auchnagatt, was a passenger in a red Ford Fiesta that left the road near Mintlaw and smashed into a tree on Saturday night.
The 17-year-old driver of the car was last night recovering from his injuries with two 17-year-old females and an 18-year-old man also receiving hospital treatment.
One of the injured passengers was Nicole Sangster, believed to be Mr Sangster’s sister.
Tributes have begun to flood social media.
One person said: “Such sad news today. Heaven has gained an angel, sleep tight William Sangster.”
Another added: “Still don’t seem real, such a big loss to so many people, won’t be the same without that smile and laugh, thoughts go out to your family.”
Auchnagatt councillor Jim Ingram said the accident was a blow for all the families involved.
He said: “It’s a disaster for every family involved, especially for those that have lost the lad.
“All you can say is that your heart goes out to them and your thoughts are with them. It’s a sad time of the year for a lot of people anyway, but especially for them now.
“I’m not aware of that being a really bad section of road, but there are the trees, the shadows and the wet. I think it was quite damp last night too.
“It’s very sad. It couldn’t happen at a worse time of the year in the lead up to Christmas.”