Mother and daughter are killed in incidents linked to crash death

A mother and daughter were killed and a man died in a car crash in three incidents police believe are linked.
By The Newsroom
Published 5th Feb 2021, 13:22 BST
Updated 5th Feb 2021, 14:24 BST
The scene on Portland Street in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, where a 24-year-old woman was stabbed and later died in hospital. A 39-year old woman was also killed and a man died in a car crash in three incidents police believe are linked in the Kilmarnock areaThe scene on Portland Street in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, where a 24-year-old woman was stabbed and later died in hospital. A 39-year old woman was also killed and a man died in a car crash in three incidents police believe are linked in the Kilmarnock area
The scene on Portland Street in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, where a 24-year-old woman was stabbed and later died in hospital. A 39-year old woman was also killed and a man died in a car crash in three incidents police believe are linked in the Kilmarnock area

The two women have been named locally as Emma Robertson Coupland and Nicole Anderson.

The mother, 39, was found injured in the car park of University Hospital Crosshouse, near Kilmarnock in East Ayrshire, at around 7.45pm on Thursday but she died at the scene.

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In a second incident 20 minutes later on Portland Street, Kilmarnock, Ms Anderson, 24, was stabbed.

Emergency services attended the scene and she was taken to the hospital at Crosshouse, but she later died.

A crash then occurred on the C50 – a minor road between the B7036 and the A76 on the outskirts of Kilmarnock – at around 8.30pm.

The 40-year-old male driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

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Police said inquiries so far suggest the incidents are linked and officers are not looking for anyone else as part of their investigation.

Chief Superintendent Faroque Hussain said: “A number of locations remain cordoned off as officers continue to conduct inquiries.

“We are working to confirm the full circumstances of what has happened. If anyone has any information which could assist our inquiries, please do contact us.

“Understandably, people will be shocked by what has happened.

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“We are still in the process of establishing the full circumstances, however I would like to reassure people that there is no wider threat to the community.

“Officers will be on patrol and anyone with any concerns can approach these officers.”

The relatives of those involved have been informed.

A statement from police said the incidents are not being treated as terrorist-related.

The hospital was locked down following the first incident, but that was lifted at around 10.30pm when police declared it safe to do so.

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Yesterday, the hospital’s A&E department and main entrance were open and running as normal while two police vans full of officers remained outside with police tape around part of the car park.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney spoke about the “dreadful” events.

He said: “A tragedy like this would be impossible to understand at any time, but after the events of the past year it is particularly shocking that such an incident has taken place at an NHS hospital.

“An investigation is of course ongoing, however Police Scotland have confirmed that the site at Crosshouse Hospital is secure and it is safe for patients and staff to go there.

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“For now I simply want to thank the police officers and all of the medical staff who were involved in the response to this incident for all that they contributed and to express my sympathy to the staff of the hospital for the trauma to which they are having to come to terms.

“I want to send my condolences to family and friends of those who have been killed.”

Related topics:KilmarnockPolice ScotlandPolice