Pedestrian dies after being hit by lorry in Glasgow in second fatal …
The deaths come on the back of rising concerns about the safety of the roads in Scotland’s largest city – as the number of fatal crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists soared from the beginning of the year.
It is understood at least ten people have now died on Glasgow’s roads since the start of the year, compared to seven deaths for the whole of 2022.
On Saturday, another pedestrian died after being hit by a lorry on the M74.
Emergency services were called to the collision involving a man and a red Scania HGV on the M74 around 11.35pm on Saturday.
The incident took place near the on-ramp from Polmadie, Junction 1A and police are now appealing for witnesses to come forward.
The 39-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene.
Just five miles from the incident and less than five hours earlier, police were called to a crash involving a 75-year-old and a Mercedes at 6.50pm.
The female pedestrian was also pronounced dead at the scene at the junction of Farmington Gardens and Farmington Avenue.
Earlier this year, police and the council launched a road safety working group following a spate of deaths of both cyclists and pedestrians on Glasgow’s streets.
In recent months the city saw the death of French cyclist Emma Newman, 22, who died after a collision involving an HGV on the Broomielaw in January.
Nigerian student Chinenye Vera Okonkwo, 33, passed away following a crash involving two cars in the city centre on St Vincent Street in February.
And a 64-year-old woman was critically injured after a collision involving a car on Elmbank Street in February. She died weeks later in hospital on March 1.
However, in April councillors were told the council’s road safety team and police have visited the locations of four incidents – but have found no immediate actions to take.
But it is not just Glasgow where there has been an increase in collisions, the latest released provisional figures from Transport Scotland[2] showed a 17% increase in the number of people either killed or seriously injured on Scotland’s roads last year.
Almost 2000 people were either killed or seriously injured on our roads in 2022. The 174 deaths were the highest number since 2016.
Appealing for information about the Saturday crash on the M74, Sergeant Chris Hoggans said: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the man who has died.
“Despite the time of night, the M74 was still busy with traffic and our enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the crash.
“I would like to speak to anyone who was in the area and may have seen what happened.
“I am also appealing for anyone with relevant dash-cam footage to get in touch on 101, quoting incident 5187 of June 3.”
The road remained closed for around five hours while the force carried out an investigation and cleared the area.
Those who may have witnessed the earlier incident in Farmington Gardens are encouraged to contact 101 and cite incident 3546.
Sergeant Hoggans also paid tribute to the 75-year-old woman who died at the scene.
References
- ^ Pedestrian, 75, dies after crash involving Mercedes in Glasgow (www.heraldscotland.com)
- ^ Scotland (www.heraldscotland.com)