A pensioner has died after being struck by a bus in Edinburgh’s Cowgate area on Saturday night. The news follows reports of a “severed head” in the city’s Old Town, with chilling snaps shared online and forensic tents springing up along the thoroughfare.
Police Scotland cited a “road traffic incident” causing nearby streets to be sealed off. They’ve now confirmed that the fatal accident involved a single decker bus in Edinburgh.
Cops dashed to the scene shortly before 7.30pm on November 2, 2024 – where many were out celebrating Halloween.
Sergeant Louise Birrell from the Road Policing Unit in Edinburgh said today: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the man who died. Extensive enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances of this incident.”
(Image: daily record)
One local recounted she’d been turfed out of a pub after being told a severed head was found close by.
Katie McLaughlin, hailing from Dumfries, was having a pint at Bannerman’s Bar.
Katie, aged 31, told the Daily Record: “He said police were outside and a severed head had been found in the Cowgate. I almost laughed because it’s Halloween weekend and I thought it was a prank.”
It comes after a woman, who claimed she was being arrested in connection with a separate incident at the time, said cops rushed off to the scene and left the scene where they were dealing with her. She said officers’ faces ‘turned white’, adding: “I can confirm the two officers who arrested me and dropped me off pronto had to attend the incident in Edinburgh and I heard it all. It’s real guys.
“They dropped me on the village main street doing 100mph minimum to get to Edinburgh. [And] when I say their faces went white, they looked terrified of what they [were] about to see.”
Officers have not commented on the woman’s claims. In a previous statement they shared they had investigated sightings of a ‘severed head’ in the city centre, with witnesses having described the scene as ‘gruesome’.
Police Scotland said in the statement: “Officers in Edinburgh are currently dealing with a serious road traffic collision in the Cowgate area of the city. Shortly after 7.30pm on Saturday, November 2, we responded to reports of a pedestrian being struck by a vehicle.
“Enquiries are ongoing. Blair Street, Guthrie Street and Candlemaker Row are currently closed, and members of the public are asked to avoid the area until further notice.”