Chris Strong's family experienced a heartbreaking ending during what was supposed to be a dream vacation in Scotland.
Katie, his wife, traveled from the U.S. to the Highlands along with her brother and their mom to explore places featured in their favorite television series, Outlander.
But they never returned. All three died in a collision on the infamous A9 in August 2022.
The fatalities represented yet another number in the dark legacy of Scotland's most enduring highway.
Forty-eight individuals have died along the 113-mile route from Inverness to Perth over the past decade.
The roadway frequently alternates between one-way and two-lane configurations. Motorists are commonly observed speeding up to pass groups of slower vehicles, and at specific intersections, cars must make right turns against oncoming traffic.
The project to convert the remaining one-lane road segments into two lanes was initially expected to conclude by 2025 – however, this timeline has been delayed by ten years, pushing it back to 2035.
Chris Strong, residing in Chicago along with the couple's three daughters, has stated Alba's Eòrpa programme regarding the enduring sorrow caused by the fatalities.
He mentioned that his wife Katie was "the force that kept all the wonderful parts of our family united."
“She was stunning, and she was the most dedicated individual I had ever encountered,” he remarked.
“She was constantly moving and had great ambition; she was always studying and attending classes. She was always looking after others.”
Chris, a photographer, mentions that he preserves the recollections of Katie and her relatives.
We often discuss her. I have the sense that she's still part of our household." "we make an effort to speak about her frequently. i believe she remains a part of our living space." "we strive to converse about her regularly. it feels as though she's still with us in our house." "we attempt to mention her often. i get the feeling she's still present in our home." "we keep bringing up her memory a lot. i think she's still around in our place.
At age 46, Katie traveled to Scotland along with her 45-year-old sibling, Jared Bastion, and their mother, Mary-Lou Mauch.
Everyone was a fan of Outlander, which they viewed collectively as they provided care for their deceased father David during his struggle with dementia.
While traveling, they stopped by Culloden Battlefield close to Inverness, which is one of the spots featured in the series.
They were traveling on a two-lane stretch of the A9 south of Aviemore when their vehicle was part of an accident involving a truck .
Mary-Lou and Jared lost their lives at the location. Katie, who was operating the vehicle, passed away in the hospital four days afterward.
The truck operator emerged unscathed.
Chris stated, "I'm unsure about what occurred."
“She intended to take a right turn from the A9 and pulled right in front of a truck.” “She planned to make a right turn onto the A9 and drove past a lorry.” “She was about to turn right from the A9 and suddenly went right in front of a big vehicle.” “She was set to take a right turn off the A9 and ended up turning directly in front of a heavy goods vehicle.” “She had decided to turn right from the A9 and did so ahead of a large truck.”
Chris took the following flight to Scotland once he learned of the accident.
Katie was undergoing medical care at a hospital located in Dundee.
Chris stated, "I arrived just in time to see her. She was on life support."
I spent around 24 hours with her.
Afterward, they conducted examinations and concluded that she would not return.
Head-on collision
Some people have personally faced disaster along the A9.
Ronnie Weir, residing just a short distance from the road in Dowally, Perthshire, was part of an incident in April 2017.
He was heading back home from Pitlochry when another vehicle approached him on the incorrect side of the roadway. They crashed directly into each other.
The occupant of the other car experienced a brain bleed and passed away while sitting behind the steering wheel prior to the accident.
Ronnie, who was injured in his legs, mentioned that he experiences the consequences of the accident daily.
"The injury resulting from an accident can be terrible. At times, it's hard to talk about," he stated.
Truck driver Elaine MacKenzie frequently travels the road and mentions that she always offers a prayer before beginning her journey along the A9.
She stated: "I offer prayers for myself, my truck, and also for all others who are with me—everyone on the A9, particularly the trucks."
Elaine thought there were many reasons for incidents on the A9.
She mentioned that certain drivers failed to comprehend the traffic signs, whereas others attempted to pass her truck in hazardous locations.
"If the highway were expanded throughout from Inverness to Perth, it would be completely different," she added.
Then vehicles could pass me whenever they wished, and you wouldn't need to concern yourself.
Forty-eight individuals lost their lives between 2014 and 2024 due to accidents along the A9 corridor from Inverness to Perth, as reported by Scottish government statistics obtained by Eòrpa via Freedom of Information requests.
Over 80% of individuals who died were located on sections of the roadway that did not feature a divided median.
During the same 10-year period, 558 additional individuals participated in accidents. Over 80% of these incidents occurred on roads that had not been upgraded to dual carriageways.
In 2007, the SNP pledged to double the A9 between Inverness and Perth, with the Scottish government establishing a deadline of 2025 for this project in 2011.
However, in February 2023, officials acknowledged that completing the £3 billion project by that time was unlikely. "unachieveable" .
After ten months, the government announced that finishing the project had been postponed by a decade. until 2035 .
At that moment, Transport Secretary Mairi McAllan stated that an ongoing schedule of enhancements was "feasible" and emphasized there would be "no slowing down" in the efforts.
Over the last ten years, two parts of a one-way roadway covering 11 miles (18 km) have undergone improvements — however, 77 miles of the route remains undivided.
A9 Dual Action Group member Laura Hansler, residing close to the route as it traverses the Cairngorms, mentioned that she understood the road construction initiative was intricate.
However, she remarked, "Each time there's a holdup... you essentially contribute to another person and family losing their beloved on this route."
Transport Minister Fiona Hyslop stated that she recognized the concerns regarding the upgrading of the roadway.
"Any death occurring on the A9, or similarly on other roads across Scotland, constitutes a tragic event in its own right," she stated.
I have a very strong commitment to road safety." "Ensuring safe roads is of utmost importance to me." "I place great emphasis on maintaining road safety." "Being cautious on the road is a top priority for me." "Safety while traveling is something I deeply care about.
She mentioned that the government wasn’t merely anticipating the decline to occur, but had allocated £5 million toward temporary, short-term road safety measures along the A9.
"Having dual lanes alone will improve road safety, which is one of the main reasons we have started this initiative," she stated.
Hyslop mentioned that factors outside the Scottish government's influence have impacted the project, such as Brexit—the UK's exit from the European Union—and the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, she stated, "We have a strategy in place, and we're achieving our key objectives."
- 'Accelerating' A9 dualling would not cut project time
- The A9 dual carriageway development has been pushed back by a decade, now set for completion in 2035.
- Fatalities from crashes on a dangerous stretch of road hit a 20-year peak