SPFL star rushed to Edinburgh hospital with 'severe' car crash leaving him lucky to be alive

An SPFL player has been taken into an Edinburgh hospital after a serious car crash.

Hamilton midfielder Ben Williamson was rushed to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary over the weekend, Accies beating Airdrie 3-2 on Saturday. Williamson sustained serious injuries in a single-vehicle crash in Dunfermline and it will keep him out long-term, including the rest of this season.

The 26-year-old driver was arrested and the passenger, Williamson, was rushed to the Royal Infirmary in the capital for treatment. After starting his career at Rangers, the 23-year-old was out on loan at a number of SPFL clubs before joining Hamilton in January of this year.

Manager John Rankin said his player is lucky to be alive. He said to Lanarkshire Live: “First and foremost, the most important thing is that he is alive, that’s what I would say. Football and what it means for the squad is irrelevant when one of our players has been in a severe accident.

“My job and the players’ jobs right now are to make sure we can be as supportive to him as possible and help him in the long run. I don’t think we will see Ben again this season.

“Now we need to get around him and offer him the support he needs. They are a tight group and we will make sure that we go and spend time with him in the hospital. He needs us now more than ever to get him through a tough period.”

Hamilton had announced in a statement: “We are immensely saddened by the news of the injuries sustained by our player Ben Williamson in a road traffic accident. At this time, we cannot comment on the circumstances of the accident, but we shall support Ben appropriately and he has our best wishes for a speedy recovery. Our thoughts are very much with him at this difficult time.”

Rangers, through their ‘B’ team and academy account, sent a message of support. They said: “The thoughts of everyone at Rangers are with our former Academy player, Ben Williamson, and his family at this time.”

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Officers were called to Queensferry Road, Dunfermline after reports of a crash involving one vehicle at 6.25am on Sunday, 29 December, 2024. Both the driver and passenger were taken to hospital. The 26-year-old driver was arrested and enquiries into the incident are ongoing."