Tribute to teens killed in A91 crash
A touching tribute filled up the skies over Stirling on Sunday as family, friends and loved ones of two teens killed in a crash near Bannockburn paid their respects.
It saw balloons being released over Borestone Primary where both tragic Kyle Marshall, 19, and Jayden Mcconnell, 17, attended - with those in attendance asked to bring along blue and purple balloons which were the favoured colours of the pair.
The teenagers were rear passengers of a black Vauxhall Corsa which collided with a HGV in the tragic incident on the A91, between the Bannockburn Interchange and Greencornhills Roundabout on March 17.
The tribute was organised by Kyle’s girlfriend Lucie Goodbrand and friend of the pair David Kane, with David’s cousin Briany commenting after the release: “What a turnout tonight - breathtaking.
“Never stop smiling our wee Kyle, you really did choose a lovely group of friends each and every single of yours and Jayden’s friends done you both so proud.”
It follows an overwhelming response from the community to a Gofundme page organised by Briany to support the families of both boys, with the fundraiser smashing through the £20k mark before it was closed, with further donations urged to be sent to the emergency services.
Meanwhile, councillors at a recent meeting shared their own messages of condolence for the families of the teens.
Stirling Provost Elaine Watterson said: “Before we start the meeting I would like to offer the condolences from the chamber on the tragic deaths of two young boys last weekend.
“It is dreadful that such young lives were cut down so short and we offer our condolences to the family and friends. I also understand that one of the children - because they were children - involved is still quite seriously ill so I’m sure that everyone will join me in wishing him a speedy recovery.”
The incident has also prompted questions over road safety and the impact of congestion and roadworks near the crash scene, with Stirling MSP Evelyn Tweed previously raising a question for the Scottish Government in the wake of the crash.
Bannockburn resident Daniel Fox has also raised the issue of traffic on the stretch of road at Quakerfield and the level of signage warning motorists coming off the roundabout of delays.
Mr Fox has also led calls for Stirling Council to conduct a “thorough investigation” to identify any flaws and ensure that tragedies like the crash do not take place again.
A Stirling Council spokesperson said: “The roadworks are the sole responsibility of the utility contractor undertaking the works and cannot be prohibited by the council.
“It is the responsibility of the utility provider and its contractor to ensure that the roadworks are compliant with the Safety at Street Works Code of Practice.
“Our roads officers have confirmed that the signage is compliant.
“The contractor will continue to monitor the traffic volumes and has arrangements in place to manually control the temporary traffic signals between 7am and 7pm, to manage queue lengths and minimise disruption as far as practicable.”