A Scots man has recalled the "horrific" moment he helped to rescue three people from a smoking car after a crash near Loch Lomond.
At around 11am on Monday, January 2, Hatina Tapatapa came across the horror smash on the A82, near the village of Arden, Argyll and Bute, where two vehicles collided. The 53-year-old from Kilmarnock was on his way to Glencoe for a day out when he saw the vehicles veer off the road.
He said that while some people fled from the cars, others were bolted inside and couldn't escape, prompting Hatina and other passers-by to break into the smouldering motor in a frantic bid to free them.
Pictures taken at the crash site, which were shared on social media, show the mangled wreck of one of the cars, which seems to have stopped in its tracks outside the entrance to Cameron House Resort and Lodges.
Its front bumper has been torn to shreds and the mechanical interior of the vehicle is now exposed. In another photo, the second car's front bumper has also taken the brunt of the impact, and is completely destroyed.
Hatina explained: "I hastily pulled over and crossed over to the other side of the road to help out. One of the cars had smoke coming out of the engine. A passenger to the front seat was sitting almost motionless, trapped.
"The door was jammed. We battled with the door using whatever we could use and eventually the door succumbed and we were able to access the passenger.
"The male driver and I gently but speedily assisted the female passenger out of the car and we laid her on the ground away from the smoking car. She had severe injury to the left lower back and couldn't walk.
"The driver from the other car sustained minor head injuries. The rest climbed out of the cars. The first ambulance arrived around 15-20 minutes later, followed by police officers. One of the people who stopped to help was a doctor who was so good and very reassuring to the injured woman."
He continued: "The ground was frozen and covered in ice so I rushed to my car and came back with a sleeping bag for the victims, which helped.
"One of the families in the car crash was from Switzerland and spoke no English at all. It ended up alright in the end and thankfully there were no fatalities but I ended up abandoning my trip because it was just so horrific.
"I'd like to thank all those who stopped to help and I wish the two families a speedy recovery."
Emergency services, including Police Scotland and Scottish Ambulance Service, sped to the scene and three people were taken to hospital. Their ages and genders, as well as their current condition, is not yet known.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Around 11.15am on Monday, 2 January, police were called to a report of a road crash involving two cars on the A82, near to Arden.
"Officers attended and a 30-year-old man was arrested in connection with road traffic offences."
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