Teenage girl killed and two people critical following crash near Annan
A minibus and a lorry collided on the M74 on Wednesday afternoon
Last updated 22nd Jul 2021
A teenage girl is dead and two other people are fighting for their lives after a crash on the M74 near Annan.
A red Ford Transit minibus travelling northbound collided with a white articulated lorry at Junction 20 at around 4.45pm on Wednesday.
Six passengers were on the minibus at the time as well as the driver.
The M74 was closed for around 12 hours following the crash
Emergency services including the air ambulance were sent to deal with the accident and the road was closed for hours, leading to huge tailbacks. A number of road users reported being stuck in traffic for several hours.
A 15-year-old girl was taken by ambulance to the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle where she later died.
A 42-year-old woman was taken by air ambulance to James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough, while a 17-year-old boy was also airlifted to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Newcastle. They’re both described by medical staff as being in a critical condition.
A six month old baby is among those injured
A six month old baby girl, a 7-year-old boy, a 12 year old boy and the 45-year-old male driver of the minibus were all taken to the Cumberland Infirmary where they were treated for minor injuries.
The road was closed for approximately 12 hours, while police carried out their investigations, reopening around 4.40am on Thursday morning.
Sergeant Jonny Edgar from the Road Policing Unit based at Dumfries said:
“Our thoughts and condolences are with the family involved in this devastating incident, and specialist officers are supporting them during this time.
Call for any witnesses to get in touch with police
“An investigation is underway to establish the full circumstances surrounding the crash and it is important we speak to anyone who was on the road at the time, and may have witnessed what happened or observed the minibus beforehand.
“We would also urge any motorists with dash-cams who were travelling on the M74 on Wednesday afternoon to please check their footage in case they have captured anything which could be of significance to our enquiries.
“Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland through 101, quoting incident number 2612 of Wednesday, 21 July, 2021.”
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