Woman dead and three in hospital after three vehicle crash shuts down A96 near Balloch

A woman has died and three people remain in hospital after a crash which shut down a road in the Highlands for seven hours.

Four ambulances, a trauma team, an air ambulance and critical care paramedic, were called to the A96, near Balloch, at around 12.16pm on Monday after a crash between a Tesla, Citroen Dispatch van, and a heavy goods vehicle.

Two men and one woman, the occupants of the Tesla car, were taken to Raigmore Hospital.

A 51-year-old woman died, while a 53-year-old man is described as being in a critical condition.

A 23-year-old man is receiving treatment for serious injuries.

The driver of the Citroen van, a 37-year-old man, was airlifted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, where his condition is described as serious.

The driver of the HGV, a 69-year-old man, was uninjured following the crash.

The road was shut in both directions following the collision, and later reopened at 7.30pm.

Police are asking any witnesses into the crash to make themselves known at this time.

Sergeant Calum MacAuley said: “Our thoughts are with the families of those impacted by this collision. A full investigation is under way to establish the full circumstances of how this collision occurred.

“I am appealing to anyone who was on the A96 who may have seen the vehicles or witnessed the crash to contact us. Motorists with dash cam equipment are asked to check their footage as there may be images which could assist our ongoing enquiries.”

Anyone with information is asked to call Police Scotland via 101, quoting incident number 1230 of Monday, February 12, 2024.