Driver in custody after hospital car smash

The incident – which saw the car leave the road and collide with the GP practice area – thankfully left no-one injured.

This area was not in use at the time and no patients or members of staff were hurt.

The Audi was found to be embedded in the wall with both the vehicle and building on fire.

The fire was quickly brought under control while patients and staff were evacuated to safety elsewhere in the complex.

The man was traced at a nearby address and taken into custody.

He will be appearing at court at a later date in relation to road traffic offences.

Sergeant Pat Turner of St Andrews Police Station said: “It was extremely fortunate that the part of the building with which the vehicle collided was not being used at that time.

“But this incident had the potential for much more serious consequences.

“This was undoubtedly a frightening experience for hospital residents but staff and emergency services initiated established protocols which resulted in the safe evacuation of all patients and staff.”

A number of patients were relocated from the inpatient area for a short period of time whilst fire services attended the scene and were returned to their wards once it was deemed safe to do so.

An NHS Fife spokesperson said: “The car that collided with part of the hospital caused significant damage, affecting today’s GP services and requiring a small number of physiotherapy appointments to be rearranged.

“Whilst we are working hard to mitigate the impact of this incident, today’s disruption is expected to continue into tomorrow and we will continue efforts to contact any outpatients who may be affected. Importantly, if there is a need for urgent GP assessment, please present to the minor injuries unit or contact NHS 24. Inpatient care remains unaffected and wards should be contacted in the usual manner.

“The car involved in the collision will remain on site ahead of a structural assessment tomorrow and security services will be present overnight. This situation continues to be under regular review and further information will be made available in due course.”