Rita Campbell
A young local woman has died after a one-car crash on the isle of Skye.
She was cut free from the car and airlifted to hospital but did not survive.
The accident happened yesterday morning on the A87, around a mile north of Broadford.
Portree-based Councillor John Gordon said: “We are all deeply shocked and saddened by this tragedy.”
His fellow councillor Ian Renwick, also based in Portree, said: “It is tragic news and our thoughts are with the family and friends.
“It is the same all over the highlands, the traffic just increases over this period.
“A motorcylist was seriously injured at Cluanie on Saturday.”
A Police Scotland spokesman said: “Police can confirm that following a one-vehicle road traffic collision on the A87 near Broadford, Isle of Skye, a woman has sadly died.
“The collision occurred around 10.10am. The woman was the only occupant of the car. The road was closed for several hours.
“A full collision investigation is taking place and police would appeal for any witnesses to make contact via 101.
“Further information will be available when next of kin are fully informed.”
Police were unable to confirm a name or age of the woman yesterday and would not provide details of the car involved.
Eyewitnesses said it was an older model of a red Ford Fiesta.
The accident took place on a long straight. It is understood the car was travelling south towards broadford.
Skid marks could be seen on the road, indicating that the car had braked hard before the crash.
People at the scene believed it gone down a slight embankment and into a ditch, causing it to flip over and land on a raised embankbank, which is part of the old Skye road.
No diversion was available and traffic queued for hours before the road finally reopened at about 4.10pm.
It was a bright sunny day and there was a large volume of traffic, with tailbacks going all the way back to Kyle of Lochalsh.
A fire service spokesman said: “We were called to a road traffic collision one mile north of broadford at 10.11am. One appliance from Kyle and one from Broadford were in attendance. We used a combi tool and road traffic collision equipment to release one casualty from a car.”
Last Saturday a 55-year-old Belgian man was left in a serious condition in hospital after a crash during a motorcycle tour of Scotland.
He suffered serious injuries in a collision with a blue Mazda 6 on the A87 road near the Cluanie Inn.
