POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a man died after being struck by a car near Beith in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Around 1.40am, the 22-year-old man, who has been named locally as James Miller, from Beith, was walking on the A737 when he was struck by a black Mitsubishi Coupe motor car. He died at the scene.

The 47-year-old driver sustained minor injuries to his arm and was taken by ambulance to Crosshouse Hospital but was released after treatment.

Sergeant Steven White, the senior investigating officer from Road Policing at Irvine said: “I realise that the road would not have been particularly busy at that time of the morning, however, I would urge anyone who was in the area and saw the crash to come forward.

“I would also ask motorists who were driving on that stretch of road if they noticed someone walking in the road or remember passing a man walking in that area.” Any witnesses are asked to telephone Road Policing at Irvine on the non emergency telephone number 101.

The tragedy comes just days after a woman was struck on the same stretch of road in the early hours of August 24.

The 18-year-old woman named locally as Amie McCann was struck by a Mazda 3 being driven southbound near to the junction of the A737 with Threepwood Road. She is still in hospital recovering from her injuries.

Figures released by the council show that there were a total of 24 road traffic collisions on the A737 from Brackenhills Cottage to Knowehead between July 2011 and June 2014 – three of them classed as ‘serious’. The last fatality on the same stretch was in February 2009.

A full report on Sunday’s incident will be sent to the Procurator Fiscal.