M9 crash victim was still trying to escape after three days in car
M9 crash victim Lamara Bell was conscious and trying desperately to escape when she was finally found by emergency services, three days after the accident was reported to police who initially failed to investigate.
The family of the 25-year- old mother of two have been notified of the findings of a Police Scotland probe into the handling of the incident.
Miss Bell was critically injured in the crash on the M9 near Stirling on July 5 and died in hospital a week later.
Her boyfriend John Yuill, 28, was found dead at the scene.
Officers failed to respond to reports of their car leaving the road and only attended the scene three days later.
Miss Bell’s brother Martin, of Falkirk, Stirlingshire, yesterday said on his Facebook page that his sister was definitely ‘ 100 per cent conscious’ when discovered and thought that she had only been in the car for minutes, rather than days.
This knowledge has fuelled the family’s assertion that she may well have survived had she been found earlier.
When rescued by firefighters, Miss Bell was c o nf used but conscious.
Her brother wrote: ‘She was able to tell them her name she added four years on to her age and told them she was 29... she did also say she was only in the car for 20 mins... And she told the fire fighter to f*** off and that is defo something my sister would say.
‘They also said she was still moving around trying to get out the car but was trapped.’
He added that he was ‘proud of my sis for doing so well over those three days then the following days in hospital for not giving up the fight. Brave amazing girl. She gave it her all and fought until the end.’
The crash was reported to Police Scotland by a member of the public on the day it happened, but the pair were only discovered in the car three days l ater after police received a further call.
They had been conducting a
‘She fought until the end’
missing persons search in the meantime, appealing for information on the couple’s whereabouts after a camping trip.
Later in July it emerged that Police Scotland had called Miss Bell’s phone nine days after she died, leaving her a voicemail message.
A senior officer visited the family to apologise for the mistake that saw a constable leave the message on July 21, saying: ‘Lamara, we are looking to speak to your sister Rebecca [in reality her cousin]. if you have seen her, can you give us a call back.’
Mr Bell also said on his Facebook page last night that he intends to do a sponsored 10K run in memory of his sister.
He added: ‘Any money raised will go to two charities and the people who I want to pick what charity any money raised goes to is the nurses that work in the ward my sister was in after the crash and the fire fighters who helped free my sister from the car wreck.’
Miss Bell’s father Ossie said on his social media page: ‘I would like to say this. I have one of the most incredible unbelievable r emarkable daughters in the world.
‘After three days of being trapped inside that car. She was able to say something only Lamara could!.. F*** OFF!! That poor fireman. This has now been confirmed.’
Last night, Police Scotland confirmed the family had been notified of the conclusions of its investigations.
A spokesman said: ‘ We can confirm both families have been advised of the outcome of our investigations into the cause of the road incident. A report has been completed and provided to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.’
Meanwhile, more than 2,000 people have responded to a review examining the quality of call-handling provided by Police Scotland.
The online questionnaire was established in the wake of the deaths of Miss Bell and Mr Yuill.