A woman’s car was sliced in half in a horrific fatal crash after it collided with a double-decker bus.

The 24-year-old driver of a grey Volkswagon Passat died after the crash on Lasswade Road, Midlothian last night (thur).

Witnesses said the front half of the woman’s car was thrown 15 metres away from the back end, which was left jammed into the front of the bus.

Police are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.

The crash happened just after 7pm last night on Lasswade Road, between Lasswade and the Edinburgh City Bypass.

A two-week-old baby and a three-year-old girl were among passengers on the number 31 bus bound for East Craigs.

Firefighters were called to the scene to use hydraulic cutting equipment to free the 24-year-old driver from the wreckage, allowing paramedics access to her.

But despite being given CPR she was pronounced dead at the scene.

The bus driver is understood to be suffering from shock, and two bus passengers, including one who had to be moved in a wheelchair, were taken to hospital.

The bus itself was left perched precariously on a grass verge.

Calum Gillies, 22, who lives nearby, said: “We didn’t actually see what happened, and from the house at first it looked like there were two cars on the road.

“It was only when I got closer I saw that the back of the car was embedded in the front of the bus, while the front of the car was about 15 metres further down the road.

“I’m first-aid trained, so I wanted to see if there was anything I could do to help.

“Police were already on the scene and the woman in the driver’s seat of the car was being given CPR by two people so I thought it best not to get in the way.

“I spoke to another man, an off-duty nurse, who had parked his car and run down to see if he could help, but they were already doing CPR when he arrived, too.

“He said there was a lot of blood.”

He continued: “I saw the driver of the bus, he looked extremely shaken.

“The driver’s cabin was caved in and the bus itself is way up on the grass verge. It’s a miracle it didn’t tip over.”

Calum’s mother Yvonne, 54, said she had seen several accidents on the road and the speed limit was too high.

She said: “This should be a 40mph zone, not a 60. There is anti-skid surfacing on the road, but people drive round these bends so quickly it already needs replaced.

Police are investigating the incident.

A Police Scotland spokesman said: “Tragically, this collision resulted in a young woman’s death and we are currently trying to establish exactly what happened during this incident.

“Anyone with information relevant to this investigation is asked to contact police immediately.”