Three men were killed in two separate crashes less than 10 hours apart on the M74 in Dumfriesshire.
Twenty-two-year-old Craig McLaren from Eastriggs died when the car he was driving crashed near Ecclefechan on Wednesday night.
Emergency services rushed to the southbound carriageway of the road around 9.05pm but Craig was pronounced dead at the scene.
An 18-year-old male passenger in the car was taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow with serious but non-life threatening injuries
And two female passengers, aged 16 and 19 from Moffat and Lockerbie , were taken to Dumfries Infirmary with what were also described as serious but non-life threatening injuries.
The road was closed for several hours while police accident investigators studied the crash site.
Devastated family and friends paid tribute to soldier Craig on social media.
A relative posted: “Lost for words. My family are totally heartbroken.”
Others described Craig as a “lovely young fella” and “the loveliest lad you could meet”.
His devastated parents and sister were being supported by police liaison officers.
The second tragedy happened at around 6.15am yesterday when a lorry and van collided on the northbound carriageway of the M74 between junctions 20 and 21 — Eaglesfield and Kirkpatrick Fleming.
The 57-year-old driver of the van and his 17-year-old passenger, both from Staffordshire, were pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the lorry was uninjured.
The road was closed to allow for a crash-scene investigation to take place and diversions were put in place.
A police spokesman said: “It was an horrific few hours in relation to accidents on what is a major artery between Scotland and England.
“As well as dealing with the huge disruption on the road, police are also working closely with, and supporting the families of the victims involved.”
