FOUR people were taken to hospital following separate crashes within hours of each other in the Scottish Borders yesterday.

Three people taken to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary following a two-vehicle collision on the A68 near Soutra at around 1.20pm.

The road was closed between the Carfraemill roundabout and the Gilston turn-off, and traffic was diverted.

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Two-and-a-half hours later, a man was rushed to the Borders General Hospital after a three-car crash on the A7 north of Stow.

The road was closed for several hours to facilitate recovery of the vehicles.

In relation to the A68 crash, Sergeant Dave Waddell, from the Galashiels Road Policing Unit, said: “Enquiries to establish the full circumstances of the incident are ongoing and we are appealing for any motorists who were in the area, or believes they saw the vehicles involved prior to the crash, to please come forward.

“You can contact police on 101, quoting incident 1531 of July 4, 2023.”

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In relation to the A7 crash a Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 3.45pm on Tuesday, 4 July, 2023, police were called to the A7 near Stow, following a report of a three-vehicle crash. One man was taken to Borders General Hospital for treatment. The road has now fully re-opened. Enquiries remain ongoing.”

That forced some drivers to take lengthy detours via the A72 and A1 to get to Edinburgh and beyond.