Updated: A HEARSE carrying a body from a hospital mortuary to a funeral directors collided with a lorry on the A64 near Malton.

The 29-year-old driver of the hearse and his 80-year-old male passenger, both from Surrey, had to be freed from the wreckage by firefighters before being taken to hospital with serious hip and leg injuries.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance airlifted the driver to James Cook Hospital, in Middlesbrough, while his passenger was taken to Scarborough Hospital by ambulance.

The accident happened yesterday at about 11.50am at Scampston Bridge, near West Knapton, with police closing both sides of the carriageway for more than three hours, sparking severe delays for motorists.

Traffic Constable Martin Recchia said the articulated lorry was heading in the direction of Scarborough when the hearse came round a bend, travelling in the opposite direction.

He said: “The hearse had been travelling from Scarborough towards Malton on its way back down to Surrey, where it had come from, to pick up a deceased person from Scarborough Hospital’s mortuary.”

He said the body had been in a white bag on a stretcher at the time of the crash and was being looked after by Bainbridge Funeral Directors, in Malton, until further arrangements were made.

The 54-year-old lorry driver, Steve Crossland, of Hunmanby, was uninjured in the accident.

Speaking to The Press at the scene, he said: “I was tootling along at 40 miles per hour when the hearse came around the corner and at the last minute veered in front of me. I don’t know why.

“I’m not injured at all, but I’m pretty shaken up and my lorry is completely written off.”

Two officers from the Environment Agency were called to the scene to make sure a serious fuel leak from Mr Crossland’s lorry did not pose a threat to wildlife in the nearby lake at Scampston Hall.

John Sherwood, from the agency, said: “We believe about 300 litres has gone to ground, so we’re going to be monitoring the area for the next few days to check it hasn’t gone in the lake.

“If it has, we will have to dig up the contaminated land and get rid of it.”

Any witnesses to the collision should phone PC Recchia at Malton Road Policing Group on 0845 60 60 247.