By MARTIN GRAHAM
A ROAD worker was battling for his life in hospital today after being struck by a car in an alleged hit and run.
The man, a contractor for Bear Scotland, had been painting road markings on the A92 Kirkcaldy to Dundee road just after Midnight when he and a colleague were hit by an overtaking car.
The victim, from Weston-super-Mare in Somerset, was rushed by ambulance to Queen Margaret’s Hospital in Dunfermline where he was treated at their High Dependency ward.
He was placed in a medically induced coma by doctors before being transferred for lifesaving treatment at the specialist neurosurgery unit at Edinburgh’s Western General Hospital
His colleague, a 30-year-old man from Avonwick in Devon, was later released from hospital in Fife after treatment for back injuries after three ambulances were scrambled to the scene.
Fife Police launched an “extensive” search to find the northbound driver who allegedly failed to stop at the scene between the Ladybank and Melville Lodges roundabout.
A spokesman said a 19 year old man was later detained in connection with the incident and was to be held in custody over the weekend charged with “varying” road offences.
It is expected he will appear in court on Tuesday, with Monday being a local holiday.
The road itself was shut for around seven hours while accident investigators studied the scene.
It re-opened at 7.20am in time for an expected rush of motorists heading to The Open golf tournament at St Andrew’s.
The men had been working for contractors Ringway on work for BEAR Scotland, who managed the A92 trunk road on behalf of the Scottish Government.
A spokesman for Ringway said: “We are doing what we can to assist the family and our thoughts are with them and with the two employees injured.”
Staff from the Scottish Ambulance Service said that three ambulances had attended the scene after being summoned by Police.
Chief Inspector David McCulloch, Fife Constabulary’s Head of Road Policing asked for any witnesses to contact them.
He said: “I would appeal to any person who may have witnessed this incident or saw a blue Peugeot 106 being driven northward on the A92 around midnight to contact the police by calling 0845 600 5702.”
