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| Lives torn apart by fatal crashes on the A9, Scotland's longest road | Lives torn apart by fatal crashes on the A9, Scotland's longest road |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Katie Bastion-Strong, who died in a crash on the A9 in 2022, pictured with her husband Chris and their daughters | Katie Bastion-Strong, who died in a crash on the A9 in 2022, pictured with her husband Chris and their daughters |
| A dream trip to Scotland ended in tragedy for Chris Strong's family. | A dream trip to Scotland ended in tragedy for Chris Strong's family. |
| His wife Katie had travelled from the US to the Highlands with her brother and their mother to visit locations from their favourite TV show, Outlander. | His wife Katie had travelled from the US to the Highlands with her brother and their mother to visit locations from their favourite TV show, Outlander. |
| But they never came home. All three were killed in a crash on the notorious A9 in August 2022. | But they never came home. All three were killed in a crash on the notorious A9 in August 2022. |
| Their deaths were another statistic in the grim history of Scotland's longest trunk road. | Their deaths were another statistic in the grim history of Scotland's longest trunk road. |
| A total of 48 people have lost their lives on the 113-mile stretch between Inverness and Perth in the last 10 years. | A total of 48 people have lost their lives on the 113-mile stretch between Inverness and Perth in the last 10 years. |
| The road regularly changes from single to dual carriageway. Drivers can often be seen driving at excessive speeds to overtake lines of slower-moving vehicles, and at certain junctions cars have to turn right across traffic coming the other way. | The road regularly changes from single to dual carriageway. Drivers can often be seen driving at excessive speeds to overtake lines of slower-moving vehicles, and at certain junctions cars have to turn right across traffic coming the other way. |
| The work to dual the remaining single-carriageway sections was originally due to be finished by 2025 - but that deadline has slipped by a decade to 2035. | The work to dual the remaining single-carriageway sections was originally due to be finished by 2025 - but that deadline has slipped by a decade to 2035. |
| Chris said his wife was the "glue" that held the great things about his family together | Chris said his wife was the "glue" that held the great things about his family together |
| Chris Strong, who lives in Chicago with the couple's three daughters, has told BBC Alba's Eòrpa programme of the painful lasting impact of the deaths. | Chris Strong, who lives in Chicago with the couple's three daughters, has told BBC Alba's Eòrpa programme of the painful lasting impact of the deaths. |
| He said his wife Katie was "the glue that held all the great elements of our families together". | He said his wife Katie was "the glue that held all the great elements of our families together". |
| "She was beautiful, and she was the hardest working person I'd ever met," he said. | "She was beautiful, and she was the hardest working person I'd ever met," he said. |
| "She never sat still and was so ambitious and was always learning and always in school. She was always taking care of people." | "She never sat still and was so ambitious and was always learning and always in school. She was always taking care of people." |
| Chris, a photographer, says he keeps memories of Katie and her family alive. | Chris, a photographer, says he keeps memories of Katie and her family alive. |
| "We try to talk about her a lot. I feel like she's still a presence in our home." | "We try to talk about her a lot. I feel like she's still a presence in our home." |
| Chris said he still felt Katie's presence in his family's home | Chris said he still felt Katie's presence in his family's home |
| Katie was 46 when she visited Scotland with her 45-year-old brother, Jared Bastion, and their mother, Mary-Lou Mauch. | Katie was 46 when she visited Scotland with her 45-year-old brother, Jared Bastion, and their mother, Mary-Lou Mauch. |
| They were all fans of Outlander, which they had watched together while caring for their late father David while he suffered with dementia. | They were all fans of Outlander, which they had watched together while caring for their late father David while he suffered with dementia. |
| During their trip they had visited Culloden Battlefield near Inverness, one of the locations from the show. | During their trip they had visited Culloden Battlefield near Inverness, one of the locations from the show. |
| They were on a single carriageway section of the A9 south of Aviemore when their car was involved in a collision with a lorry. | They were on a single carriageway section of the A9 south of Aviemore when their car was involved in a collision with a lorry. |
| Mary-Lou and Jared died at the scene. Katie, who was driving the car, died in hospital four days later. | Mary-Lou and Jared died at the scene. Katie, who was driving the car, died in hospital four days later. |
| The lorry driver was not hurt. | The lorry driver was not hurt. |
| Chris said: "I don't know why it happened. | Chris said: "I don't know why it happened. |
| "She was going to make a right-hand turn off of the A9, and she turned right in front of a lorry." | "She was going to make a right-hand turn off of the A9, and she turned right in front of a lorry." |
| Chris got the next plane to Scotland after he found out about the crash. | Chris got the next plane to Scotland after he found out about the crash. |
| Katie was receiving treatment in a hospital in Dundee. | Katie was receiving treatment in a hospital in Dundee. |
| Chris said: "I was able to get there in time to see her. She was on a ventilator. | Chris said: "I was able to get there in time to see her. She was on a ventilator. |
| "I got to spend maybe 24 hours with her. | "I got to spend maybe 24 hours with her. |
| "Then they did tests and determined that she was not going to come back." | "Then they did tests and determined that she was not going to come back." |
| Head-on collision | Head-on collision |
| Ronnie Weir was left injured by a crash on the A9 in Perthshire | Ronnie Weir was left injured by a crash on the A9 in Perthshire |
| Others have experienced tragedy on the A9 first-hand. | Others have experienced tragedy on the A9 first-hand. |
| Ronnie Weir, who lives only a few metres away from the road in Dowally, Perthshire, was involved in an accident in April 2017. | Ronnie Weir, who lives only a few metres away from the road in Dowally, Perthshire, was involved in an accident in April 2017. |
| He was driving home from Pitlochry when a car came towards him on the wrong side of the road. They collided head-on. | He was driving home from Pitlochry when a car came towards him on the wrong side of the road. They collided head-on. |
| The driver of the other vehicle had suffered a cerebral haemorrhage and died at the wheel before the crash. | |
| Ronnie, who suffered leg injuries, said he felt the effects of the accident every day. | Ronnie, who suffered leg injuries, said he felt the effects of the accident every day. |
| "The trauma which an accident causes is horrendous. Sometimes it is difficult to speak about it," he said. | "The trauma which an accident causes is horrendous. Sometimes it is difficult to speak about it," he said. |
| Lorry driver Elaine McKenzie says her faith is important to her when she prepares for journeys on the A9 | Lorry driver Elaine McKenzie says her faith is important to her when she prepares for journeys on the A9 |
| Lorry driver Elaine MacKenzie is a regular user of the road - and says she prays every time she sets out on the A9. | Lorry driver Elaine MacKenzie is a regular user of the road - and says she prays every time she sets out on the A9. |
| She said: "I pray for myself, for my lorry, but also for everyone else with me too - for everyone on the A9, but especially for the lorries." | She said: "I pray for myself, for my lorry, but also for everyone else with me too - for everyone on the A9, but especially for the lorries." |
| Elaine believed there were lots of factors behind accidents on the A9. | Elaine believed there were lots of factors behind accidents on the A9. |
| She said some drivers did not understand the road signs, while others tried to overtake her lorry in dangerous places. | She said some drivers did not understand the road signs, while others tried to overtake her lorry in dangerous places. |
| "If the road was dualled all the way from Inverness to Perth it would be very different," she added. | "If the road was dualled all the way from Inverness to Perth it would be very different," she added. |
| "Because then cars could overtake me if they wanted, and you wouldn't have to be worried." | "Because then cars could overtake me if they wanted, and you wouldn't have to be worried." |
| A total of 48 people died between 2014 and 2024 after collisions on the A9 between Inverness and Perth, according to Scottish government data which Eòrpa received through Freedom of Information. | A total of 48 people died between 2014 and 2024 after collisions on the A9 between Inverness and Perth, according to Scottish government data which Eòrpa received through Freedom of Information. |
| More than 80% of those who lost their lives had been on parts of the road that were not dual carriageway. | More than 80% of those who lost their lives had been on parts of the road that were not dual carriageway. |
| Over the same 10 years, 558 other people were involved in collisions. More than 80% of them were on sections which were not dualled. | Over the same 10 years, 558 other people were involved in collisions. More than 80% of them were on sections which were not dualled. |
| The SNP made a commitment in 2007 to dual the A9 from Inverness to Perth, and in 2011 the Scotish government set a target date of 2025. | The SNP made a commitment in 2007 to dual the A9 from Inverness to Perth, and in 2011 the Scotish government set a target date of 2025. |
| But in February 2023, ministers admitted that finishing the £3bn project by then was "unachieveable". | But in February 2023, ministers admitted that finishing the £3bn project by then was "unachieveable". |
| Ten months later, the government said that completing the work had been delayed by 10 years until 2035. | Ten months later, the government said that completing the work had been delayed by 10 years until 2035. |
| At the time the transport secretary, Mairi McAllan, said that a new rolling programme of improvements was "achievable" and there would be "no let up" in the work. | At the time the transport secretary, Mairi McAllan, said that a new rolling programme of improvements was "achievable" and there would be "no let up" in the work. |
| Two sections of single carriageway totalling 11 miles (18km) of road have been upgraded over the past decade - but 77 miles of the route has still to be dualled. | Two sections of single carriageway totalling 11 miles (18km) of road have been upgraded over the past decade - but 77 miles of the route has still to be dualled. |
| A9 Dual Action Group campaigner Laura Hansler, who lives near the road where it passes through the Cairngorms, said she knew the road building project was complex. | A9 Dual Action Group campaigner Laura Hansler, who lives near the road where it passes through the Cairngorms, said she knew the road building project was complex. |
| But she added: "Every time there is a delay... you're basically going to cause someone else and another family to lose their loved one on this road." | But she added: "Every time there is a delay... you're basically going to cause someone else and another family to lose their loved one on this road." |
| Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop said the Scottish government has a plan to complete the dualling project | Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop said the Scottish government has a plan to complete the dualling project |
| Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop said she understood there were frustrations around the dualling of the road. | Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop said she understood there were frustrations around the dualling of the road. |
| "Any loss of a life on the A9, or indeed other roads in Scotland, is a tragedy in and of itself," she said | "Any loss of a life on the A9, or indeed other roads in Scotland, is a tragedy in and of itself," she said |
| "Road safety is something I take extremely seriously." | "Road safety is something I take extremely seriously." |
| She said the government was not just waiting for the dualling to take place, and had invested £5m in interim, shorter-term road safety issues on the A9. | She said the government was not just waiting for the dualling to take place, and had invested £5m in interim, shorter-term road safety issues on the A9. |
| "The dualling in and of itself will help on road safety and that's one of the reasons that we've embarked on it," she said. | "The dualling in and of itself will help on road safety and that's one of the reasons that we've embarked on it," she said. |
| Hyslop said circumstances beyond the Scottish government's control had affected the project, including Brexit - the UK's withdrawal from the European Union - and the Covid pandemic. | Hyslop said circumstances beyond the Scottish government's control had affected the project, including Brexit - the UK's withdrawal from the European Union - and the Covid pandemic. |
| But she added: "We have a plan, we're meeting our milestones." | But she added: "We have a plan, we're meeting our milestones." |