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North farmer plans land giveaway to stop crashes

Culbokie
Culbokie

A farmer has offered to donate a chunk of his land to improve safety at an accident blackspot where a mother-of-three was killed.

Derek Hannan fears there could be more fatalities at the notorious bend on the Black Isle and now wants to work with the local authority to try to prevent a repeat of the tragedy.

Sharon Eccleson died after her Toyota Yaris hit a tree on Wednesday night.

Mr Hannan, of Dunvournie Farm, owns the fields beside the bend on the B9169 Muir of Ord-Culbokie road.

the 59-year-old said he was aware of three people crashing into the same tree.

He said: “It’s so sad. She is not the first person to hit that tree. It is a dangerous corner.

“What I would like to do now is to approach the council about giving a bit of land to take the corner away.”

He said he wanted to work with the local authority to make the road safer, and would be prepared to give up the ground to allow the road to be realigned.

He said he remembered crashes happening at the bend since he was a child.

He added: “That’s the third accident I know of going into that three. The last accident there was a year last winter when someone went through the fence on the other side of the road.

“Last year was a mild winter so there were no accidents but most winters cars go through the fence there.

“It happens in both directions, it’s not just the one side. It’s a notorious bend.”

A Highland Council spokeswoman said: “The council is saddened at the loss of a life on a road in the Highland area.

“We would be willing to work with a landowner toward improving road safety.

“Any future proposals for potential alteration to the road network would involve a full analysis of all of the factors which may have contributed to an incident and that of course may take some time to fully determine.”

Mrs Eccleson, who is understood to have been in her 30s, died at the scene of Wednesday’s accident.

It is understood she was travelling towards the A9 Inverness-Perth trunk route when her car veered across the carriageway and hit the tree around 11.30pm.

The road was closed for four and a half hours while police officers carried out an investigation at the scene.

Family and friends left floral tributes at the site describing her as “a beautiful person” and a “loving mother”.

The message on one bouquet read: “Dad is missing his little girl and mum her best friend.”

Mrs Eccleson lived in Logan Way, Muir of Ord, with her husband George and children Kyle, Connor and Danielle.

The couple married in August last year.

She worked as a customer service adviser at Serco and also part-time as a delivery driver for the Khan Tandoori in Muir of Ord.

The business was closed until today as a mark of respect.

Police are appealing for witnesses to the accident to contact them on 101.