Edinburgh Cowgate victim named by police after horror bus crash

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A pensioner who died of catastrophic injuries after being struck by a bus in Edinburgh's Cowgate area has been named by police as Michael Leneghen.

The pensioner, who lived in the city, was decapitated after being struck while out walking by a single decker bus on the evening of Saturday, November 2.

The city was busy with revellers celebrating Halloween at the time, with many of them in fancy dress. The 74-year-old was beheaded at around 7.25pm

Police Scotland officers are continuing to investigate the horror incident. His family released a statement today through police. It said: "We wish to thank all the members of the public and emergency services involved. We would now ask for privacy at this time.”

Sergeant Paul Ewing, of the Road Policing Unit in Edinburgh, said: "Our thoughts remain with Michael’s family and friends, as well as everyone affected by this tragic incident. Our enquiries remain ongoing.

"We have already spoken to a number of people who were in the area at the time and work is ongoing to check public and private CCTV footage. We are still keen to hear from anyone who has not yet spoken to police.

"If you have any information about what happened, then please get in touch. Anyone with information is asked to call the police via 101. Please quote incident number 3395 of Saturday, 2 November 2024."

Footage of the aftermath of the incident went viral on social media, with police previously issuing a warning over the gruesome content, which was shared widely on X, formerly Twitter.

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