Lamara Bell Dies In Hospital

12 July 2015, 14:21 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

25 year old mum of two Lamara Bell was found down an embankment on the M9 near Stirling on Wednesday.

Lamara's boyfriend - 28 year old father of three John Yuill - was killed in the crash.

This morning, Lamara's brother Martin used his Facebook page to tell people of his sister's passing.

He simply stated: "My sister just passed away.''
 
Lamara Bell had reportedly been placed in a medically-induced coma when she was being treated at Glasgow's new hospital.

Numerous tributes to her have been posted online.

Scotland's police chief last week apologised to the relatives of the two crash victims.

Police Scotland Chief Constable Sir Stephen House admitted police had ''failed both families''.

The couple were reported missing after visiting Loch Earn, Stirlingshire, in a blue Renault Clio.

It emerged that a member of the public contacted Police Scotland at around 11.30am on Sunday July 5 to report that they could see the vehicle down an embankment near the M9 slip road at Bannockburn.

The call was answered, but ''for reasons yet to be established'' it was not entered onto the police systems and no action was taken at the time.

The car was found when officers were called to the scene by another member of the public on Wednesday.

The police investigations and review commissioner (Pirc) is carrying out an independent investigation into the circumstances of the incident, under the direction of the Crown Office.

There have also been calls for a wider inquiry into the operation of Scotland's single police force in light of the incident.

Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie has said the case for such a probe was becoming ''unanswerable'' and has questioned Sir Stephen's assertion that the incident centred around an ''individual failure'' in the service.

The MSP said workload pressure on the police service has been ''immense'' since the reorganisation of the service into a single force over two years ago - a move which included the centralisation of police control rooms.

Scottish Labour's justice spokeswoman Elaine Murray said: ''This is awful news, and our thoughts and prayers are with Lamara Bell's family. Losing a loved one is always difficult, but to do so in such circumstances makes the pain so much more pronounced.

''Lamara Bell's death reinforces the need for an urgent, full and wide-ranging inquiry by the police investigations and review commissioner.

''We need to get to the bottom of why it took police more than 72 hours to respond to an emergency call.

''This inquiry must look not just at what went wrong in this specific case, but also assess wider issues like the impact of cuts to services on the ability of the police do their job properly.''

Sir Stephen House said: "On behalf of Police Scotland, we are all deeply saddened by the news of Lamara Bell's death this morning and I would personally like to express my deepest sympathies to her family and friends for their loss.

"We will continue to co-operate fully with the police investigations and review commissioner as they undertake their investigation into the circumstances of this tragic incident.''

The Pirc has confirmed that Ms Bell died of her injuries at hospital at 6.48am today.

A statement on behalf of the Bell family requested privacy at this difficult time and said: "Sadly, our daughter has passed away.''

Mr Yuill's relatives said: "The family of John Yuill would like to say that their prayers and thoughts are with Lamara and her family.

"We are devastated by the sad news this morning.

"The families have messaged each other this morning and our thoughts are with John and Lamara's children at this very sad time.''

Speaking following news of the death, Mr Rennie said: "Her father's bedside singing and her family's publicly expressed anguish were clear manifestations of the love they felt for Lamara.

"We all feel terribly sad that her life has ended and in this awful way. Whilst her family and friends grieve for Lamara, it is now our duty to find the answers that everyone is seeking.''

The Scottish Conservatives' justice spokesman Margaret Mitchell said: "This has been a devastating tragedy, and you can only feel for the families involved.

"The second death in relation to this incident really increases the pressure on Police Scotland and the Scottish Government.

"They both assured the public the 101 number was working well and there was nothing to worry about, despite police officers telling a different story.

"This tragic incident proves that not to be the case.''