Two women killed as crash death toll rises on the A96

The crash involved two cars and a HGV on the A96 near Kinloss Road

Two women have died and a 15-year-old girl has been injured in the third fatal crash on the A96 in less than two weeks.

The women, aged 48 and 56, in a Vauxhall Mokka, died at the scene of the collision with a lorry and VW Golf at Kinloss Road, Forres, at about 15:05.

It comes after Alison Campbell, 65, from Caithness, was killed on 22 July in a crash between a car and a tipper van near Inverness Airport.

A 50-year-old woman also died in hospital after a two-car crash at Newton of Perry, near Inverness on 18 July.

A day earlier an 18-year-old motorbiker was injured in a collision involving a car near Auldern.

Police Scotland said the A96 was closed for several hours after the latest incident.

The 15-year-old Vauxhall passenger was airlifted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary for treatment.

The driver of the lorry and occupants of the VW Golf were uninjured.

Sgt Lesley Morrison at Road Policing in Elgin said: "We would like to speak to anyone who witnessed this tragic crash or anyone who has dashcam footage of it."

The A96 passes through large areas of farmland between Inverness and Aberdeen.

It has long stretches of single carriageway and some shorter dualled road and crawler lanes.

Last year, a 2011 commitment to upgrade 86 miles (138km) of the route by 2030 was abandoned by the Scottish government.

However, following a consultation by Transport Scotland, the Scottish government said making the A96 between Aberdeen and Inverness fully dual carriageway remains its "current favoured position".