The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
One dead, several hurt as bus and van collide.
Major incident response after bus and van collide, with emergency casualties taken to Ninewells
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NHS Tayside’s trauma team attended the incident to treat casualties at the scene.
NHS SPOKESMAN
A rush-hour crash involving a bus and a van has claimed the life of a 32-year-old man and left several people in hospital with “serious” injuries.
The crash, involving a Stagecoach 22 bus service on the A90 between Forfar and Dundee, happened at around 8.10am yesterday.
Police, fire and ambulance vehicles, including the air ambulance and trauma teams, rushed to the Petterden junction.
Reports regarding the number of casualties taken to Ninewells Hospital following the fatal accident varied between seven and eight, with the Scottish Ambulance Service confirming many were seriously injured.
The 32-year-old van driver was pronounced dead at the scene.
It is understood one male casualty was thrown through the top window of the bus by the force of the impact.
The bus, which was travelling from Kirriemuir to Dundee, was carrying more than 20 passengers at the time.
The road was closed northbound in the immediate aftermath of the collision and one lane remained shut for hours afterwards, as traffic built up and police dealt with the incident.
A Scottish Ambulance Service spokesperson confirmed the scale of the horrific crash.
A spokesperson said: “We received a call at 0806 hours to attend a road traffic collision on the A90 at Tealing.
“We dispatched seven ambulances, patient transport ambulance, paramedic response unit, our helimed air ambulance, the trauma teams and the specialist operations response team to the scene.
“We can confirm that we have taken a total of seven patients to Ninewells Hospital for further treatment.
“A number of patients were treated at the scene and travelled home with relatives or made their own way home.”
It is understood a major incident response was initiated by NHS Tayside, with initial reports suggesting as many as 21 patients could have been on their way to Dundee’s Ninewells Hospital.
A spokesperson said: “Following a serious road traffic collision on the A90 this morning, NHS Tayside’s trauma team attended the incident to treat casualties at the scene.
“A total of eight casualties were brought to Ninewells Emergency Department before 11am.
“A small number of elective procedures due to take place at Ninewells were postponed to ensure facilities were available to ensure potential casualties from the incident could be treated.”
The Courier understands several Dundee University seminar rooms at Ninewells were given over to the NHS for the emergency but an NHS Tayside spokesperson refused to answer questions about why the corridors were cordoned off.
Police issued an appeal for witnesses to help with their investigations.
Inspector Greg Burns from Police Scotland’s road policing unit said: “This was a serious collision and our thoughts at this time are with the friends and family of the man who lost his life, along with all of those involved.
“Our inquiries into the cause of the crash are ongoing, and I would ask anyone who saw what happened – and has not yet spoken to officers – to come forward.
“I would ask motorists using the A90 this morning and who may have been recording via dash-cam devices to check their systems and provide any relevant footage to us as soon as possible.”
Following the fatality, Transport Minister Michael Matheson was quizzed at the Scottish Parliament on road safety improvements for the A90.
Mr Matheson said: “There are a range of areas which are presently under investigation with potentially some of them programmed for action later this year.
“There are other areas being considered for further investment.
“Given the strong record this government has in investing in road systems in the north-east of Scotland we will continue to look at what are appropriate measures, not only on the A90 but across the road network.”