DOCTORS fought in vain to save a baby girl delivered prematurely during an emergency Caesarean section after both her parents were killed in a car crash.

Despite surviving for several hours the baby, named Eva, was in a seriously ill condition and died yesterday afternoon, surrounded by her relatives. Her parents, Lisa and Duncan Scott, were killed when their car was involved in a collision with a marked police van in Irvine, Ayrshire, just before midnight on Saturday.

Mr Scott, 28, died at the scene and his 30-year-old wife, who was eight months pregnant, was rushed to nearby Crosshouse Hospital but was found to be dead on arrival. Surgeons were able to perform an emergency Caesarean section to try to save her child, but she survived for only 15 hours.

The couple had another daughter, aged 3, who was not thought to have been involved in the accident. She will be looked after by relatives.

Neighbours said that the couple had been delighted at the prospect of another baby and had thrown themselves into preparations for the new arrival. Last night the garden of the Scotts’ semi-detached home was littered with toys. The lights of the house were still on.

One neighbour said: “They were a lovely couple. Lisa was so pretty and always waved and said hello. We are all stunned that something so awful could have happened to them.”

It is thought that the couple were returning from a night out, with Mrs Scott at the wheel, when their Ford Fiesta was involved in the collision at the junction of Towerlands Road and Pladda Avenue.

The couple, who lived in the Girdle Toll area of the town, were not involved in a chase, the police vehicle was not involved in pursuit and, at the time of the accident, it did not have its blue lights or siren on, according to witnesses. The two officers who had been in the police van were taken to Crosshouse Hospital suffering from minor injuries but were later released after treatment.

A neighbour said: “I can’t believe the poor baby has died. That means her sister is all alone now.”

Witnesses living yards from the crash scene said that they were awoken by a “huge bang” at 11.45pm. They went outside to find the Scotts’ car “wrapped around” a lamp post. They said that it appeared that the police vehicle had crashed into the passenger side of the Fiesta.

Investigations were under way yesterday and the road was closed off as forensic science officers combed the scene for clues to the exact cause of the crash. Police have set up a special incident room at Ayr Police Office and are appealing for witnesses to contact them.

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