A BABY born after a car accident which killed his grandmother and badly injured his mother was said to be doing well in hospital last night.

Scott Droy was delivered by Caesarean section after his heavily pregnant mother was rushed to hospital following the three-car crash, in which a man also died.

Lesley Droy, 30, was last night said to be comfortable in intensive care in a Scottish hospital, with her husband David at her side.

But Mrs Droy's mother, 65-year-old Kathleen Gillespie, from Richmond, North Yorkshire, died later in hospital.

Alexander Paterson, 33, of Irvine, Scotland, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The accident happened on the A71 Kilmarnock to Irvine road in Ayrshire, south of Glasgow, at lunch time on Monday.

Strathclyde Police said Mr Paterson appeared to have lost control of his silver Nissan Sunny, which then left the westbound carriageway, cros-sing the central reservation and colliding with Mrs Droy's Peugeot 206.

Mr Paterson's car was then involved in a second collision with a green Nissan Micra.

It took firefighters more than half an hour to cut Mrs Droy, who now lives in the Kilmarnock area, free from the wreckage.

The road was blocked in both directions for more than two hours.

The 41-year-old woman driving the Micra was treated for minor injuries and later released from hospital. Her four-year-old son was unhurt.

But Mrs Droy, and the fatally injured Mrs Gillespie, were rushed to Crosshouse Hospital, near Kilmarnock.

Once there, Mrs Droy - who had been driving - underwent the emergency surgery which resulted in Scott's birth.

His condition was yesterday described as "healthy" and he was transferred to the Ayshire Central Hospital, in Irvine, for specialist care.

Mrs Gillespie had travelled to Scotland only recently to help her daughter through the final stages of her pregnancy.

Her family were too distressed to speak last night. Police have requested no details of the Droy's address in Scotland are published.

Mrs Gillespie has another daughter, Hilary, who lives in Richmond with her husband, Colin.

Last night, neighbours spoke of their shock after hearing of the tragedy.

"Mrs Gillespie was known here as Kay, and I always found her a delight to talk with," said former Richmond mayor John Harris.

He said: "She was always bright, always cheerful - a sunny character who was always willing to help. Our thoughts, of course, are with the family."

Strathclyde Police are hoping other drivers will be able to help them piece together what happened in the moments before the crash and have appealed for witnesses to come forward.

A report on the accident is to be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.