A fatal accident inquiry is to be held into the death of a pensioner who lay in his car wreckage for two days despite a 999 call. John Winton McNab, 86, was discovered on the A887 near Invermoriston in Inverness-shire on September 18, 2022.
Police were dispatched to the area after receiving an emergency call but could not locate John's grey Mercedes. John, known as Winton, was reported missing before officers found the crash site two days later.
Inquiry to Examine Emergency Response
The Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) will be held at Falkirk Sheriff Court from December 21. It is anticipated the probe will consider the emergency response and search efforts following the incident.
Debbie Carroll for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, Scotland's independent deaths investigation authority, said: "The death of John McNab occurred in circumstances which the Lord Advocate considers give rise to serious public concern. A Fatal Accident Inquiry will allow a full public examination of the circumstances surrounding his death and of the responses which followed."
Carroll added: "The Inquiry will help determine whether any lessons can be learned to reduce the risk of similar deaths occurring in the future."
Automatic Emergency Alert
It is understood that John's vehicle sent an emergency alert to emergency services at the time of the collision. Speaking to the Record at the time of John's death, a source said: "When the car crashed, it automatically dialled 999 as per the technology that has been installed since 2017 in all new cars. Despite officers searching, it took days for the car to be located."
John's family said: "We would like to thank everyone involved in the search to trace Winton, these efforts are greatly appreciated by the family." The circumstances surrounding his death were referred to the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC) at the time.
Parallels with 2015 Tragedy
The tragedy brought back harrowing memories of the deaths of Lamara Bell and John Yuill in 2015. The couple died after lying for three days in their vehicle. Police failed to respond to a call telling them the pair's car had gone down an embankment from the M9 and crashed.
