Express. Four killed in crashes as heavy snow brings danger to the roads

Six Met Office yellow “be aware” warnings were still in place last night after up to six inches of snow fell during the day.

Some roads and schools were closed and 50mph winds forced ferry operators to cancel a number of services.

In the worst of the road accidents, two men died in a head-on smash on the A83 near Cairndow, Argyll. The victims, aged 20 and 24, were passengers in a Peugeot van which collided with a lorry.
Firefighters cut them out of the wreck but both men died at the scene.

The 63-year-old man driving the van was taken to Glasgow’s Southern General Hospital with minor injuries. The lorry driver, a man aged 24, was unhurt.

An elderly man was killed in Ayr when his car left the road and hit a lamppost. The 89-year-old victim was driving a Ford Fusion on Racecourse Road. A car and a lorry collided on the A916 near Craigrothie, Fife, killing one person and leaving another injured. A woman was taken to hospital after two buses collided at Glasgow Cross.

On the M8, near Airdrie, Lanarkshire, a car ended up on its roof but no one was injured.

Seven vehicles, including lorries, were stranded after a pile-up on the A96 near Huntly in Aberdeenshire, but there were no serious injuries.

Police and fire and rescue services advised drivers to exercise the utmost care and travel only if absolutely necessary.

A Strathclyde Fire and Rescue spokesman said: “When driving in snow and ice your stopping distance can be as much as 10 times greater.