Police confirm crash victim as farm worker Iona
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POLICE Scotland have confirmed that the 20-year-old woman who died in a horrific A96 crash at the weekend was farm worker Iona Duncan from Drummuir, near Keith.
Thainstone mart worker Iona was just one week away from turning 21 – which she planned to celebrate with family and friends on Saturday.
Her devastated family said she was popular and "had a heart of gold".
Iona, who had two brothers, Craig and Christopher Dawson, and a sister, Kim Turner, was brought up on the family farm and went on to study agriculture at Craibstone, near Aberdeen.
She was known at farms in Pennan and Orkney for her expert hand during lambing season.
The former Botriphnie Primary School and Keith Grammar School pupil was also well-known as one of the presenters on Keith Community Radio where she shared her love for country music under the pseudonym "the Corrie Quine". Iona also liked to sing and play guitar.
Her parents, Alex and Irene, said: "Iona had been looking forward to moving in with boyfriend Grant Ireland and had big plans for the future. She had dreams to take on the family business at Easter Corrie.
"Farming was in her blood, that's the only thing you can say – it was in her.
"She loved animals from when she was young – sheep, cattle, everything. It's all she ever wanted to do.
"Quite often when we would go out we would get talking to people, Iona would just get to know them straight away."
Iona's silver Dacia Duster overturned in the collision with a Volvo XC60 on Sunday morning, landing on its roof on the Keith to Huntly section of the A96, at the junction with Windyraw.
Three men travelling in the Volvo – two aged 22 and one aged 48 – were taken to hospital with minor injuries after the car spun to a stop.
Police Scotland issued an appeal for witnesses. Sergeant Andy Ramsay urged people to come forward with any information about the two vehicles in the lead-up to the crash and any dash-camera footage of the scene prior to or during the incident.
He said: "Our thoughts at this difficult time are with the friends and family of those involved.
"The investigation into the cause of the collision is under way."
