A man died and another was taken to hospital following an early-morning crash near Aberdeen.
A Royal Mail lorry and a van belonging to Brechin firm Forster Roofing Services collided head-on just before 7am on the A944 Westhill to Alford road on Monday.
The 59-year-old driver of the blue Renault Kangoo van died at the scene. The van had flipped on to its side and crashed into the wall surrounding a nearby house.
Emergency services were called to the accident at around 6.50am where the two wrecked vehicles sat with debris scattered all over the road.
Both lanes of the carriageway were closed for more than nine hours while police carried out their investigations.
Ian Wallace, chief inspector of Grampian Police road policing team, said at the scene: ”A collision occurred this morning between a Royal Mail lorry which was travelling towards Aberdeen and a trades van which was travelling west towards Alford.
”One man, driving the trades van, died at the scene and the driver of the Royal Mail lorry suffered minor injuries. We have closed the road while we carry out our on scene investigations and it is likely to remain closed for some time.
”We have a number of witnesses who may have seen what happened but we also appeal to anyone else who has any information on the crash to come forward.”
Staff at the Brechin headquarters of Forster Roofing Services in Commerce Street were shocked by the accident.
Senior figures were involved in communication with Grampian Police after details of the horrific accident emerged, and faced the harrowing task of relaying the news to colleagues of the victim.
It is understood the 59-year-old man may not be from the Angus area.
The company said it would be inappropriate to make any comment on the fatality until the victim’s next-of-kin had been informed and his name formally released by police.
A Royal Mail spokesman said: ”We are sorry to report that a Royal Mail driver was involved in a road traffic collision yesterday on the outskirts of Aberdeen which resulted in a fatality.
”Our thoughts are with the family of the other driver and with the Royal Mail driver, who was taken to hospital.”
In a separate incident on the same road, a woman had to be cut free from the wreckage of a car after a two-vehicle crash.
She was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary to be treated for spinal injuries after the accident, which happened around 1pm near the Lonenwell Garage at Alford.
A police spokesman said her injuries were not believed to be serious.