Fatal crashes on Ryedale roads (From Gazette & Herald)

Fatal crashes on Ryedale roads

A WOMAN died and five people, including two children, were injured in a horror car crash at a notorious Ryedale A64 accident blackspot.

The tragic mishap saw an elderly West Yorkshire pair in a Citroen ZX involved in a collision with a Rover 400 carrying a family of four. The shunt sent the Citroen hurtling off the road into a roadside bridge. The impact sent a large section of the stone bridge and part of the car's headlamp plunging into a stream below.

Police confirmed a female front seat passenger in the Citroen died at the scene, despite brave efforts of a passing firefighter who gave her emergency treatment.

The driver of the Citroen, believed to be the dead woman's husband, was taken to York Hospital with serious leg injuries which are not believed to be fatal.

Occupants of the Rover - a man, 59, his wife and their two grandchildren, girls aged 13 and six, also from the Leeds area, were treated in hospital for minor injuries.

Traffic police at the scene said it was lucky the death toll was not higher.

Sgt Paul Stephenson, of Malton Police, said: "This is a notorious blackspot. With the wet conditions on a greasy road, a collision has taken place and it's another extremely sad situation.

"One person has been killed - it could have been much worse. The family in the Rover were quite lucky to walk away without serious injuries."

Fire crews from Malton and Pickering, paramedics and four police vehicles attended the crash scene.

A North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said a firefighter who narrowly avoided being caught up in the crash pulled over and gave mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and a heart massage in vain to the elderly victim.

The crash happened just before 7pm and caused major congestion, with one lane open eastbound and westbound traffic diverted through Huttons Ambo.

Police said the Citroen pulled onto the A64 from the Castle Howard turn-off before the accident occurred on the York-bound A64. Witnesses should (01723) 509662.

The crash follows in the wake of another fatal crash, this time on the A170 on Friday night, in which a 19-year-old man was killed.

Christopher James George Barlow, from Broughton, near Malton, was travelling in a black Volkswagen Golf car towards Kirkbymoorside on the A170 on Friday night, at 9.05pm, when it left the road and hit a stone parapet at Catter Bridge, near Spaunton. Another man in the car was taken to Scarborough Hospital with serious injuries.

Police are keen to speak to the driver of a red or maroon articulated cab unit with spot lights on its windscreen, which was travelling towards Pickering at the time.

Witnesses should ring (01723) 509555.

On bank holiday Monday, five people were injured in a head-on collision at the notorious Golden Hill accident blackspot, near Huttons Ambo, on the A64. Two children were among those injured in the accident, which happened at about 2.40pm.

A 71-year-old man driving a blue Peugeot from Malton to York was involved in a head-on collision with a red Citroen, which was driving in the opposite direction. The Citroen contained a man and a woman, both in their 40s, and two children, both aged six.

North Yorkshire firefighters freed a man, a woman and a child using hydraulic cutting equipment. The six-year-old girl suffered pains in her stomach, hip and left arm, while the six-year-old boy was said to have "severe" abdominal pain.

The 40-year-old woman from the Citroen was airlifted to hospital with injuries to her chest, arm and right side. Her fellow Citroen passenger, the 40-year-old man, suffered stomach injuries and chest pains. The 71-year-old Peugeot driver had injuries to his right leg and chest.

All patients were taken to York Hospital for treatment, where they were yesterday described as comfortable, with the boy said to be stable.

Anyone who saw either of the cars involved in the accident is asked to call North Yorkshire Police's Traffic Constable Gilleard on (01723) 509555.

Updated: 11:13 Wednesday, June 02, 2004