Girl, 16, killed in two-vehicle motorway crash as police arrest 42-year-old man

Police have named a teenager who was killed in a two-car motorway crash at the weekend which saw the driver of one of the cars arrested.

Sophie Laing, 16, from Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, died following a collision on the M73 near the Gartcosh junction at around 1.30pm on Saturday.

She was a backseat passenger in one of the two cars involved, travelling northbound.

Sophie and the 62-year-old driver of the vehicle she was in were taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow by ambulance.

The teenager died a short while later.

Sophie Laing, 16, from Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, died following a collision on the M73 near the Gartcosh junction

PC Paul Mallon, from Lanarkshire Road Policing Unit, said: ‘Our thoughts remain with Sophie’s family and friends at this difficult time and we ask that their privacy is respected’

The 62-year-old required hospital treatment. A 42-year-old man driving the other car was uninjured and arrested in connection with a road traffic offence.

He was later released pending further inquiries.

The road was closed for around seven hours while crash investigations were carried out and reopened at around 8.40pm.

Sophie’s friends have paid tribute to a ‘lovely, kind girl’ who will be ‘truly missed’.

One wrote: ‘So so sad to hear this tragic news […] She was a lovely, kind girl. You will be truly missed. Sending my heartfelt condolences to her family.’

PC Paul Mallon, from Lanarkshire Road Policing Unit, said: ‘Our thoughts remain with Sophie’s family and friends at this difficult time and we ask that their privacy is respected.

‘Our inquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances and I would urge anyone who may have information which could assist to contact officers.’

Anyone with any information is asked to contact 101 quoting reference 1665 of January 28.