A man has died after a horrific crash involving a car and lorry in the north-east.
The smash happened on the B979 Westhill to Peterculter road, near Mason Lodge.
Police, fire and ambulance crews attended the scene at about 8.30am, but could not save the 32-year-old car driver.
The lorry driver was shocked, but uninjured.
It is believed the red Toyota Yaris went out of control at a bend and veered into the path of an oncoming Iceland lorry, before spinning onto the other side of the road. The vehicles came to a stop side-by-side.
Relatives of the driver, from Torphins, have been informed but he is yet to be formally identified.
Richard McGhee, a lorry driver, arrived at the scene moments after the crash and raced to see if he could help.
He said: “I got there just after it happened, I spoke to the lorry driver and he was a bit shaken up.
“He just kept saying ‘there was nothing I could have done’.
“I didn’t go much further because I could see there was someone in the car.
“There were people trying to give him CPR and then the police arrived.”
The lorry driver was checked over by paramedics, but did not require hospital treatment. The car driver died at the scene.
A spokesman for the ambulance service said: “We received an emergency call at 8.30am and responded to a serious road traffic accident.
“Local ambulance crews attended and one man was treated by the paramedics at the scene but did not require to be taken to hospital.”
Police are now appealing for any witnesses to come forward.
Sergeant Rob Warnock, from the roads policing department, said: “My thoughts, and that of my officers, are very much with the family and friends of the man who sadly died in this dreadful collision. Several people witnessed this incident and I am acutely aware that they, and others who assisted at the scene, have also been affected by the tragic circumstances.
“I would appeal to anyone who may have seen the crash or who may have seen either vehicle shortly beforehand and who hasn’t yet spoken with police to do so as a matter of urgency to help us piece together exactly what happened.”
Two fire crews from North Anderson Drive, with nine firefighters on board, were called and made the scene safe.
The road was closed for most of the day while collision investigators examined the scene. It reopened just before 3pm.
Anyone with information should call 101.
