Driver dies and two seriously injured in crash between car and bus Published duration 31 October 2015

One man has died and two people have been seriously injured in a collision between a car and a bus in North Ayrshire.

The 53-year-old driver of a Mercedes car died at the scene of the crash on the A78, near Hunterston Roundabout.

The male bus driver and a female passenger were taken by helicopter to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.

Both are being treated for serious head injuries.

A further eight bus passengers, six women and two men, were taken by ambulance to either Inverclyde Royal Hospital or Crosshouse Hospital for treatment.

Police said the driver was the sole occupant of the Mercedes car.

The road between Hunterston and the Clydeport roundabout was closed for several hours while emergency crews were at the scene. It re-opened shortly before 18:00.

A spokesman for Stagecoach West Scotland said: "We can confirm that a car was in collision with one of our vehicles operating the 585 service near Largs.

"Our first thoughts are with the people who have been involved in the incident. The safety of our passengers and staff is our highest priory and we are assisting the police fully with their investigation into the circumstances."

A spokesman for the Scottish Ambulance Service said: "We received an emergency call shortly after 10am this morning for a road traffic accident involving a bus.

"We responded with multiple vehicles, including six ambulances, one paramedic response unit, a full special operations response team, area services managers, the EMRS (Emergency Medical Retrieval Service) and two helicopters.

"This was a serious road traffic accident. We worked with our colleagues from Police Scotland and the fire service.

"We conveyed 10 patients to multiple hospitals, including Inverclyde, Crosshouse and Queen Elizabeth University Hospital."