A man has died in a horror accident on a stretch of the north’s busiest road in Sutherland.
The pedestrian, who has not yet been named, was killed after being involved in a collision with a van on the A9 near Dornoch.
The accident happened just before 2.30am in the early hours of Monday.
The busy Inverness to Thurso road was closed well into yesterday as police investigated at the scene.
Officers have now appealed for any witnesses or anyone who saw a man walking in the area to come forward as they attempt to piece together what happened.
The victim’s identity had not been released by police last night, although officers are in contact with his family.
The collision happened near Evelix between the Clashmore and Camore junctions off the busy trunk road.
Shocked residents of nearby Dornoch were unable to say much about the accident last night.
One woman, who asked not to be named, said: “It’s pretty shocking, really very sad.
“I heard about the accident this morning but there’s not much I can say about it.
“You wonder what we was doing walking out there at that time of the morning, there’s not much out there.
“Maybe he was going home from a party or something but that’s a bit odd after a Sunday night when people have work the next morning.”
Specialist road policing officers carried out a full accident investigation at the scene, which kept the road closed until early afternoon yesterday.
Motorists were left with a lengthy diversion via the A949, A836 and A839 roads through Bonar Bridge and Lairg.
Little evidence of the tragedy could be seen at the site of the accident yesterday afternoon after the road had reopened.
A police spokeswoman said: “Very sadly the man died at the scene and officers are liaising with his family.
“Inquiries are continuing and police would appeal to anyone who saw a man walking on or near the road last night or the early hours of this morning to contact 101.”
In November, schoolboy Dylan Davidson was knocked down and badly injured just a few miles from yesterday’s crash scene.
The nine-year-old was seriously injured in the road accident that happened as he walked home from school in the town.
Since then, he has made amazing strides in his recovery and headed a pipe band parade through his home town just last month.
In June, a French tourist who caused a fatal crash on the A9 further north was fined £4,500 and banned from the road for a year.
France Lautier’s car veered across the road as she drove north on the A9 near Dunbeath in Caithness, causing a catastrophic collision that resulted in the death of Thurso pensioner Elizabeth Williams.
Wick Sheriff Court was told that for some “inexplicable” reason Lautier, driving the lead car, crossed over the centre white line into the path of a Jaguar with Mrs Williams, 72, in the passenger seat.
Lautier’s left hand drive Ford C-Max caught the rear offside of the vehicle which spun round, in the impact, collided with a stone wall and came to rest across the northbound lane. Mrs Williams died at the scene from multiple injuries.
