Police ‘fail to f ind tragic car crash victim for 2 days’ in echo of M9 tragedy

POLICE are believed to have taken two days to find the body of a missing pensioner after his car triggered an SOS call when it crashed.

John Winton McNab, 86, was located in his Mercedes in a remote area near Invermoriston, Inverness-shire, last Sunday afternoon.

However, it is understood that the initial collision, two days beforehand, sparked an emergency alert – and that police attended the area but could not find the vehicle.

The circumstances bear similarities to the crash in 2015 in which John Yuill and Lamara Bell lay undiscovered in their car, down an embankment beside the M9, for several days after the first 999 call was made to police.

The Police Investigations and Review Commissioner, which probes incidents involving Scotland’s national force, is conducting an inquiry into the police’s response to the crash involving Mr McNab, in which no other vehicle was involved. It will report its findings to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS).

Proceedings could be brought against individual officers or the force as a whole, in due course, if evidence emerges that police were at fault in the way they responded.

Police had issued an appeal for witnesses on Monday, stating they had discovered Mr McNab’s car at 1.20pm the previous day at Invermoriston.

They added that the body of a man, believed to be Mr McNab, had been discovered at the scene.

It is understood Mr McNab was last seen on Tuesday, September 13, although he was reported missing to police on Friday, September 16. His car is believed to have triggered an emergency alert when it crashed, using technology installed in cars manufactured since 2017.

Police are understood to have been sent to the area of the A887 to which the call was traced, but could not locate the vehicle. Mr McNab was found two days later.

Sgt David Miller, of the Highlands and Islands road policing unit, said after the discovery: ‘Our inquiries into the circumstances of what happened are under way and our thoughts are with John’s family and friends.

‘I would appeal to anyone who may have seen John’s grey Mercedes B class between September 13 and September 18 to contact police. I also appeal to anyone who witnessed the crash or who may have dashcam footage to contact us as soon as possible.’ On Friday, police said the case had been reported to the PIRC.

Mr McNab’s family said in a statement: ‘We would like to thank everyone involved in the search to trace Winton. These efforts are greatly appreciated.’ A Police Scotland spokesman said yesterday: ‘The PIRC has been instructed by the Crown Office to investigate the death of Mr McNab. Its report on the circumstances will be submitted to COPFS at the conclusion of its investigation.

‘Police Scotland has also referred the circumstances to the PIRC.’

The PIRC said it was ‘investigating the circumstances around the death of an 86-year-old man near Inverness under the instruction of the Crown Office, and investigations are ongoing’.

The 2015 crash involving Mr Yuill and Ms Bell eventually resulted in a £100,000 fine for Police Scotland last September, after the force admitted call-handling failures contributed to Ms Bell’s death. The money was described as ‘pointless’ by Mr Yuill’s family, given that it will be covered by taxpayers.

Police Scotland pleaded guilty to a charge under the Health and Safety Act admitting corporate criminal liability. Chief Constable Iain Livingstone issued an ‘unreserved’ apology to the families of Mr Yuill and Ms Bell for its failings.

Mr Yuill, 28, and Ms Bell, 25, were returning from a camping trip when their Renault Clio plunged off the M9 near Stirling on July 5, 2015. A call was made to police that day to report the crash but officers only attended three days later when a further 999 call was made.

Mr Yuill died at the scene and Ms Bell died in hospital, a week after the crash. A fatal accident inquiry is still to be held.

‘These search efforts are greatly appreciated’