Two people died in a crash on a notorious road at the weekend, bringing the number of deaths there to three in a year.
The 31-year-old man and 26-year-old woman, who have still to be named by police, were killed in the collision on the A937 Laurencekirk to Montrose road, at the Marykirk Bridge.
Another man was seriously injured and remains in hospital.
It comes close to a year after 21-year-old Leanne McDonald, who studied at the Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, was killed in a crash on the same stretch of road.
It is understood the group were travelling towards the bridge just before midnight on Saturday, when they lost control of the blue Vauxhall Astra.
The vehicle plunged off the side of the road – partially colliding with the structure on the way down – and landed several feet down below on an embankment, just feet away from the River Esk.
Four fire engines, from Laurencekirk, Montrose and Brechin, were needed at the scene, with 23 firefighters on board.
It took crews several hours to get the group out of the car, using cutting gear, and they did not stand down until 5.35am.
Police were unable to confirm whether the pair died at the scene. It is understood the injured man was taken to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee.
The road was closed throughout the morning and for most of the afternoon reportedly because the vehicle could not be easily moved from the embankment.
It eventually re-opened at about 4.25pm.
Road safety campaigner Jill Fotheringham, who successfully campaigned for the Laurencekirk flyover, said the latest crash highlighted the need for transport bosses to look at improving the A937.
She said: “It’s just horrific, especially when someone died there so recently.
“This has been rated as one of the most dangerous roads in Scotland before.
“I’m glad that they are doing something with the A90 junction but the whole road needs to be looked at because there are just too many people losing their lives.”
Miss McDonald died when her car crashed into a wall on the road on the night of July 24.
She was about to receive a BA from RGU in Children and Young People’s Nursing at the time of her death.
Just months later, a man and woman were seriously injured when their cars collided at the same spot.
