A doctor has told of the tragic moment he tried to save the life of a man who died in a crash on the A9 Inverness-Perth road yesterday.
Stephen Bird, who works as a GP on South Uist, was driving to catch the ferry from Skye when he came across the accident just north of the slip road at Ballinluig early yesterday morning.
It was the first serious accident on the A9 since the average speed cameras were switched on last week.
They are aimed at cutting the death toll on the road, which is notorious for its high number of serious accidents.
The smash involved a Vauxhall Corsa and a DAF lorry at a layby on the northbound dual carriageway.
An an air ambulance was sent, but the driver of the Vauxhall was pronounced dead at the scene.
Dr Bird was travelling home after visiting his mother in Angus and attempted to revive him.
“I arrived after the accident had happened,” he said.
“There was an upturned car by the side of the road and there was a chap trapped inside.
“Sadly he was severely injured, so the chances were very slim.”
He said he hoped the fact he had offered assistance would be of comfort to the man’s family.
He said: “You feel like you are privileged to be able to offer assistance but you feel pretty rotten if the outcome is bad.”