A van driver was airlifted to hospital last night after crashing head-on into two trees.
Fire crews took nearly three hours to release the man from the Moray Council vehicle before he was flown to Aberdeen for treatment.
The windscreen of the van was smashed after it crashed through a fence and collided with the trees at about 3pm yesterday.
The incident took place on the B9016 Keith to Buckie road near the Aultmore Distillery.
Calls have been made to upgrade stretches of the road since the death of Buckpool teenager Neringa Narusyte in October last year.
Significant damage was caused to the driver-side of the council truck due to the force of the impact with the tree. Minor damage was caused to the passenger-side.
Police and fire crews were immediately dispatched to the scene and the road was closed as efforts began to free the driver.
Firefighters worked closely with paramedics to get the man from his vehicle, due to concerns about the injuries he could have suffered.
Skid marks could be seen on the road leading up to the location where the council van, which was travelling towards the A96, veered off the carriageway into the woodland.
Investigators were called to begin an examination of what led to the crash.
A police spokeswoman said: “One vehicle was involved in the incident. One person was injured. There was a passenger in the vehicle but they were not injured.
“An air ambulance was requested and it left the scene at about 6.20pm to go to Aberdeen.”
A fire spokeswoman said: “Three pumps attended the incident. We were called at 3pm. The man was extricated from the vehicle at 5.50pm and left in the care of the ambulance service.”
