A grieving dad who lost his wife, mother-in-law and brother-in-law in a tragic crash on the A9 has hit out at the lack of urgent action to upgrade the road.
Katie Bastion-Strong, 46, her brother Jared Bastion, 45, and mum Mary-Lou Mauch, 75, were travelling across Scotland last summer when their car crashed with a lorry.
The family had flown from Illinois to explore the Highlands after they fell in love with the region’s scenery while watching the popular TV show Outlander.
They had been travelling for four days before the incident happened.
Mrs Bastion-Strong was driving a rental car on the A9 Inverness to Perth road at Ralia, near Newtonmore, when she turned a corner and hit the lorry on August 10.
Her brother and mother were killed instantly, while she was taken to hospital, where she died three days later.
Mrs Bastion-Strong’s husband Chris said the tragedy has left seven children without a parent and condemned the state of the road, where his wife lost her life.
The 45-year-old has spoken of his heartbreak, saying she was his “best friend” and loved travelling and the outdoors, and “had a lot of plans”.
The pair had been married for 17 years and lived in Chicago with their three daughters Bela, 17, Mae, 15, and Gillian, 10.
He told the Sunday Mail: “My daughters have lost their mum, Jared’s four children have lost their dad. It has just been a lot to deal with, it’s been terrible.
“More can be done to make that road safer and they have to do it.
“I don’t want anyone else to have to go through what we have. This has to stop before more families’ lives are ruined.”
A9 claims more than a dozen victims
Mrs Bastion-Strong, who worked for the American College of Surgeons, is one of 13 people who have died on the notorious road since July last year.
Campaigners have been pushing for increased safety measures on the 80-mile route between Perth and Inverness for more than 15 years.
But the long-promised upgrade has been delayed several times, despite the government’s pledge to dual the A9 by 2025.
Two weeks ago, SNP transport chief Jenny Gilruth said the bid to improve the Tomatin-Moy section has been rejected over high costs and will have to go out to tender again.
Speaking in Holyrood, she confirmed the target to complete the project within the next three years was “simply no longer achievable” because of economic pressure.
However, Transport Scotland has confirmed £5 million of safety improvements, including new road markings, illuminated road studs and clearer signage, will be made before 2025.
Mr Strong said he was told the tragedy was caused by a driver error, and that having seen the state of the road, he understands why his wife would have had difficulties on it.
He told the Sunday Mail: “I went to the site of the accident. As someone looking at it from the US, everything’s flipped. That’s confusing.
“It’s also very small, the road. It’s not at all like the roads here. There was no division between the lanes and there’s a quick turn with no warning.”
“The police officer who was with me told me about how dangerous the road is.”
He added there also should be more checks or safety signs for drivers who are unfamiliar with the roads in the UK.
Mr Strong said: “I’m surprised that your driver’s licence can just work here; that you can just jump on a plane from the US and rent a car and be driving with everything completely reversed from what you’re used to, just all on good faith that you’re going to be able to wing it.”
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