MOTORISTS are being warned to be extra vigilant on rural roads after four people were involved in a serious crash in the west side of the county.
Kevin Morrice (37), who was a back-seat passenger in a Volkswagen Golf which was in a collision with a Honda Civic, was yesterday said to be in a critical but stable condition at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
He broke all the ribs on the right side of his body and suffered bleeding to the brain after being involved in the accident at Murkle on Monday afternoon.
Mr Morrice, of Miller Avenue, Wick, is believed to have been travelling home from Dounreay where he works as an electrician.
He was with colleagues Grant Anderson (21), from Wick, who was driving the vehicle and is still being treated at Caithness General Hospital for head, jaw and shoulder injuries.
Front-seat passenger Gordon Macleod (21), also from Wick, suffered whiplash and concussion but was discharged from hospital on Tuesday.
The crash occurred at 4.45pm just outside the old post office near Murkle, when the Golf went off the road and into a telephone box. The driver of the Honda Civic was unharmed in the incident.
A spokesman for Northern Constabulary’s roads policing unit said the cause of the crash was still being investigated by officers.
Thurso Police Station duty sergeant Donald MacDonald warned that when driving on rural roads, most accidents were caused by the motorist’s failure to adapt to the conditions.
“The accident took place on a straight, undulating stretch of road where there is the opportunity for motorists to overtake and speed when it is unsafe to do so,” he said.
“Every bit of road is dangerous if people aren’t driving appropriately to the conditions, which always leaves the possibility of an incident occurring.
“In Caithness, accidents have happened due to hidden dips on the road and motorists haven’t seen oncoming vehicles.
“It is very rare that you can blame the roads for accidents as in most cases it is down to human error.”
Castletown Community Council committee member Liz Geddes said the stretch of the road had seen a number of accidents over the years. “I don’t know the reasons for the crash on Monday, but with regards to incidents in the past, if people just drive as they should drive there won’t be accidents,” she said.
“Most of our issues regarding speeding have been coming into Castletown itself, but when there was a road death a few years ago just outside the village people were still speeding the next day.
“This is a problem which exists all over the country and not just Caithness and we have called for the police to explore new measures, but I don’t know how you can go about preventing accidents.”
In 2011, Caithness accounted for seven of the 17 road deaths in the Highlands and Islands.
This year has already seen one fatality in the Far North. Stewart Milnes (26), from Reay, was killed when his car left the A836 road at Scrabster Brae on January 6.
