Roads boss in hospital

A Highland Council roads boss was in a stable condition in hospital last night after being badly injured in a dramatic accident on the A9.

Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey area roads and community works manager Iain Wallace received head and leg injuries on Thursday night when his silver Volkswagen Passat estate car was involved in a collision with a lorry trailer on the south-bound dual carriageway section near the Slochd summit.

Last night, an investigation was being carried out into the accident.

The collision involved a trailer owned by Munro and Sons (Highland).

Earlier this year, the Alness-based contractor was fined £3,750 for breaching health and safety rules after a woman was killed when a runaway digger crushed the car in which she was travelling. Beauty consultant Christina Fraser, 24, of Arabella, near Tain, was killed after a 30-tonne loader rolled off a transporter and hit the car she was a passenger in on the A9 near Invergordon in 2006.

Mr Wallace was taken to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness after Thursday’s crash

It is thought that the trailer, which was carrying a large waste container, became detached from the lorry pulling it and hit Mr Wallace’s car.

Mr Wallace lives at Aviemore with his partner, Diana Grimson.

In 2004 his son Andrew Wallace – one of the country’s top motorcycle road racers – died in a pile-up while competing for the first time at the Ulster Grand Prix in County Antrim.

He was the 32nd rider to lose his life in the 82-year history of the Ulster event.

He had previously been clocked as the fifth quickest Scot in history at the TT Races on the Isle of Man.

Yesterday, Badenoch and Strathsey councillor Gregor Rimell said: “I’m very sorry to hear about the accident. Iain’s work is appreciated by local members all over the community.

“I’ve personally worked with Iain all the time I have been on the council.

“He has a ready sense of humour and he copes well with a very complicated role in the council.”

A council spokeswoman confirmed Mr Wallace was injured in the accident.

She added: “We can't say any more because it is in the hands of the police.”

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