Woman ‘critical’ after car plunges down embankment on A9

Accidents: Day of incident on Perthshire roads

A woman was in a critical condition last following a four-vehicle accident on the A9.

She was airlifted to hospital after the car she was travelling in plunged 16ft down an embankment between Killiecrankie and Blair Atholl.

The collision, involving a lorry and three cars, was one of two yesterday afternoon to cause chaos for travellers on the busy trunk road in Perthshire.

The road was closed for several hours as an investigation was conducted into the accident, which occurred around 3.20pm two miles south of Blair Atholl.

Earlier, just after 2pm, a two-vehicle crash brought traffic to a standstill near the busy trunk road’s Auchterarder junction.

Following the A9 incident, the woman was flown to Dundee’s Ninewells Hospital by Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance.

The driver of another vehicle suffered minor injuries and was described by police as walking wounded.

Firefighters were called to the scene to cut free a casualty trapped in the vehicle down the embankment.

A fire service spokesman said one casualty was checked at the scene by a doctor.

“We received reports of an RTC involving one HGV and three private vehicles around 3.20pm,” he said.

“We dispatched three pumps to the scene where one car was 16ft down an embankment.”

Police confirmed the incident was serious and advised motorists to avoid the area.

A spokesperson said: “Police Scotland and other emergency services are currently in attendance at a serious road traffic collision on the A9.

“Diversions are in place and motorists are advised to avoid the area as the road is currently closed both ways and will be for some time.”

Lorries were told to park up at either side of the closure zone and traffic was heavy on the diversion route for cars.

The earlier accident involved a Land Rover and a Vauxhall Astra.

Police Scotland said one of the vehicles had ploughed into the central reservation. The driver of the Land Rover is understood to have suffered a minor neck injury.

Initially the northbound route was closed completely from the Gleneagles junction, with south-heading traffic restricted to one lane.

One lane of the northbound carriageway was eventually reopened and the road was cleared by 4.30pm.

We received reports of an RTC involving one HGV and three private vehicles around 3.20pm