Crash victim’s father attacks M9 ‘cover-up’
A FATHER whose daughter died in the notorious M9 crash has accused justice chiefs of a ‘cover-up’ over the tragedy.
On the third anniversary of the police blunder that left Lamara Bell trapped without food or water for three days in a crashed car, Andrew Bell said his family had not been given any answers.
Miss Bell, a mother of two, died after boyfriend John Yuill’s car careered off the M9 near Stirling on July 5, 2015. A passing motorist alerted police but the couple lay undiscovered until July 8.
Mr Yuill, 28, is thought to have died on impact but Miss Bell, 25, was still alive when she was found trapped in the vehicle.
She died four days later in hospital.
The case prompted an urgent review of how Police Scotland handled calls and the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner watchdog has sent a report to the Lord Advocate.
But the Crown Office has given no indication when a fatal accident inquiry (FAI) will be held.
Mr Bell, 52, of Falkirk, said: ‘Nobody in the family has moved on. We are all stuck at day one. It’s heartbreaking. We look at our case and we think, right, OK, it was complex. We ask questions and there’s never any answers.
‘We hear constantly, “That’s part of the investigation, we can’t go into it”. For three years now. Just somebody, tell us something.
‘Every time they say “complex” my paranoia kicks in with “cover up”. It feels like a cover-up – the road getting cleaned off, the car getting taken away so fast.’
The family of Mr Yuill, a father of two, did not wish to comment but Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie has written to the Lord Advocate urging him to ensure an FAI is conducted as soon as possible.
He wrote: ‘Their families, the police and the public need answers. They have waited too long already.’
A Crown Office spokesman said: ‘The case team have met family members and their legal representatives throughout and will continue to keep them informed of any significant developments.
‘The investigation remains live. It would not be appropriate to comment further.’