Police officer airlifted to hospital after A92 crash

ACCIDENTS: Disruption in the kingdom after three incidents

A police officer had to be airlifted to hospital after going to the aid of a broken down vehicle on the A92.

Police said the casualty was in a marked 4x4 parked by the side of the road when it was hit by a lorry between Crossgates and

Cowdenbeath at around 1.40pm. Scotland’s charity air ambulance was summoned to airlift the injured officer to hospital. It was one of a number of crashes across Fife which led to major disruption for motorists yesterday.

A woman was taken to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee with back and neck injuries after another accident on the A92, between Kilmany and the Five Roads Roundabout, and a third crash on the same road caused tailbacks later in the afternoon. Elsewhere, a tractor shed a load of bales after it hit a railway bridge on the outskirts of Inverkeithing, blocking the road and forcing the closure of the rail line, and a car landed on its roof between Kelty and Ballingry.

A police officer was in hospital last night following a day of chaos on the A92 in Fife.

A force spokeswoman said the casualty was injured when a marked car was hit by a lorry on the road between Crossgates and Cowdenbeath yesterday afternoon.

The crash happened near Crossgates after the officer had been sent to the scene of a vehicle breakdown.

The Police Scotland 4x4 was parked at the side of the westbound carriageway when it was struck by an HGV car transporter lorry at around 1.40pm.

The road was closed in both directions for a time as emergency services dealt with the aftermath.

Scotland’s charity air ambulance was called The officer was airlifted to Dundee’s Ninewells Hospital for further treatment, police confirmed.

A spokeswoman for Police Scotland said: “One officer has been airlifted to hospital with what are believed to be serious injuries.”

It later emerged that the injuries were not as bad as first feared.

Three fire and rescue appliances were also called to the scene – two from Lochgelly and one from Dunfermline.

The eastbound carriageway of the A92 was reopened not long after the crash, but the trunk road was closed westbound from Crossgates to Cowdenbeath for some time.

Anyone who may have witnessed the crash is being urged to contact Police Scotland on 101.

There were further delays of around four miles along the same stretch of road at around 3.50pm after a van left the carriageway.

Traffic was reduced to one lane following the single-vehicle accident at the Lochgelly interchange.

A man was treated at the scene before being taken to Kirkcaldy’s Victoria Hospital for further treatment. His injuries were not thought to be life threatening.

Police made an appeal for information last night following a third crash on the A92, this time between Kilmany and the Five Roads Roundabout.

Officers said a Mini and a Nissan were involved in a crash around 3pm after they were forced to take evasive action due to other road users.

A 43-year-old woman was taken by ambulance to Ninewells Hospital with back and neck injuries. Sergeant Paul Hunter from Cupar Police Station said: “We are eager to trace the driver of a silver or grey Mercedes car, which is possibly a newer shape and the registration may contain the letters VDR or similar, to help with our investigation into the crash.

“We are also appealing for any dash-cam footage of the incident or of the Mercedes car both before and after the crash.”

Elsewhere, a crash in Inverkeithing caused misery for commuters travelling between Edinburgh and Dundee after a tractor struck a railway bridge.

The main line through Fife was closed for nearly two hours after the farm vehicle shed its load of bales when it hit the crossing on the outskirts of town.

Witnesses said the tractor spilled its load and blocked the road in both directions at Hope Street around 2.40pm.

Officers attended the scene and local diversions were set up to allow for recovery vehicles to clear the area.

Nobody was injured in the collision. However, the crash impacted on train services after the line was closed due to fears the bridge had been made unsafe.

Engineers from Network Rail Scotland declared the bridge safe at around 4pm with train services resuming as normal soon after.

Another driver had a lucky escape when a car came off the road between Kelty and Ballingry and landed on its roof. Police were called around 5.20pm.

Officers said no one was injured.

Picture: Fife Jammers. A police officer was airlifted to hospital after the collision.

Picture: David Wardie A police officer was airlifted to Ninewells Hospital following the crash on the A92 between Crossgates and Cowdenbeath.