This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/jul/08/investigation-police-couple-lain-car-wreck-scotland-days-bannockburn

The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Couple may have lain in car wreck in Scotland for days – despite alert to police Police failure to respond may have left Lamara Bell injured in car crash for days
(about 14 hours later)
Police are investigating whether a man and a woman involved in a fatal crash were left lying in the car for three days before being discovered. A seriously injured woman may have lain undiscovered next to her dead boyfriend in their car for up to three days in central Scotland, after police failed to respond to a reports of a motorway crash.
Officers searching for a missing couple confirmed that a man has died and a woman is in a critical condition in hospital following a motorway car crash. They are now investigating whether the pair lay in the car for several days, despite officers having been alerted to reports of a crash on Sunday. Police Scotland confirmed late on Wednesday that it was investigating a fatal accident in which a man was pronounced dead at the scene and a woman was left in a critical condition in hospital.
The force said it was called to the southbound M9 near junction nine shortly before 10am on Wednesday following a report that a Renault Clio had come off the road. The male driver of the car was pronounced dead at the scene, while the female passenger was taken to the Southern General hospital in Glasgow. John Yuill, 28, and his girlfriend, Lamara Bell, 25, had been reported missing by friends after they were last seen in the early hours of Sunday morning. The couple, both from the Falkirk area, left the south shore of Loch Earn, Stirlingshire, following a weekend camping trip.
Police Scotland said they believe the incident is “connected to the ongoing missing persons search” for 28-year-old John Yuill and 25-year-old Lamara Bell. The couple were last seen in the company of friends on the south shore of Loch Earn, Stirlingshire, in the early hours of Sunday. It has since emerged that a call was made to police late on Sunday morning reporting that a car had left the M9 southbound near junction nine at Bannockburn. The report was not followed up at the time, a failure that has now been referred to Scotland’s police investigations and review commissioner (PIRC).
However, it has emerged that a call was made to police late on Sunday morning reporting that a car had left the road. Police Scotland said that report was not followed up at the time – something which is now being investigated. It is understood the matter will be referred to the police investigations and review commissioner (PIRC). Police Scotland said it was called to the wooded area beside the motorway shortly before 10am on Wednesday, following a report that a Renault Clio had left the road. An NHS spokesperson on Thursday morning confirmed the female passenger was being cared for in the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, where her condition was described as “very serious”. It is believed that her family is at her bedside.
Yuill, the co-owner of a caravan recycling business near Stirling and father of two young sons, was described by friends on Facebook as “a great guy and a brilliant dad”.
Assistant chief constable Kate Thomson said: “Officers attended and the male driver of the car was sadly pronounced dead at the scene. The female passenger was conveyed to the Southern General, Glasgow, where she is in a critical condition. We believe that this is connected to the ongoing missing persons search for John Yuill and Lamara Bell.”Assistant chief constable Kate Thomson said: “Officers attended and the male driver of the car was sadly pronounced dead at the scene. The female passenger was conveyed to the Southern General, Glasgow, where she is in a critical condition. We believe that this is connected to the ongoing missing persons search for John Yuill and Lamara Bell.”
She went on: “It has come to light that a call was made to police late on Sunday morning regarding a car which was reported as being off the road. For reasons currently being investigated, that report was not followed up at the time. Following a call this morning, officers attended the scene. She went on: “It has come to light that a call was made to police late on Sunday morning regarding a car which was reported as being off the road. For reasons currently being investigated, that report was not followed up at the time.”
This investigation has now been handed over the PIRC, which cannot confirm how long it will take to conclude, while Police Scotland continues to investigate the road traffic accident.
“Officers have notified the families of this update. Our thoughts are with both families at this difficult time. A full investigation is currently under way to establish the full circumstances of the incident.”“Officers have notified the families of this update. Our thoughts are with both families at this difficult time. A full investigation is currently under way to establish the full circumstances of the incident.”
A spokesman for the PIRC said: “The crown office and procurator fiscal service has directed the police investigations and review commissioner to carry out an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of a 28-year-old man and serious injury of a 25-year-old woman following an incident at the M9 southbound near junction nine at Bannockburn on 8 July.” A spokesman for the PIRC said: “The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has directed the police investigations and review commissioner to carry out an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of a 28-year-old man and serious injury of a 25-year-old woman following an incident at the M9 southbound near junction nine at Bannockburn on 8 July.”