Driver reversed car off road at Bro’ty harbour

EMERGENCY workers launched a “major” response after an elderly man reversed his vehicle off the road at Broughty Ferry harbour.

Two fire and rescue appliances, an inshore lifeboat crew and an ambulance joined at least four Police Scotland vehicles at the scene at 4pm on Saturday.

A man, understood to be in his late seventies or early eighties, was taken to hospital after injuring his hand.

Eyewitnesses described their shock after seeing the vehicle lying on its side as teams worked to free the pensioner.

Paul McGillvery, 33, from Monikie, was with his father-in-law. He said: “We were walking towards our car at 4.15pm and we heard sirens as we approached Gray Street.

“There was a really large police presence and the fire service arrived as well.

“When we got t o t he harbour we saw a car appeared to have gone completely over on to the jetty as if someone had left their handbrake off or reversed straight over the edge.

“It was quite a shock really. It’s not the kind of thing you see every day.

“We were also worried, given the major response, that someone could be seriously hurt. There are no railing there and I have thought before there would be no way to stop a vehicle if it was to go over.”

A police spokesman said: “We received several calls shortly before 4pm of an incident involving one vehicle and a man described as being in his late seventies or early eighties.

“It appears he was parked and went backwards instead of forwards which has taken him off on to the slipway.

“He was taken to hospital after sustaining a cut to his hand but there appeared to be no other serious injuries.”