A POPULAR retired Malton teacher and church stalwart has been killed as she was crossing the A64 road at Whitwell-on-the-Hill, prompting new calls for action to improve safety on the notorious trunk road.

Police said Miss Mollie Kennedy, 86, had been dropped off by a friend on the westbound carriageway of the A64 and was crossing the road to get a bus back to her home in Castle Howard Road, Malton, when she was involved in a collision with a vehicle.

The A64 was closed in both directions for five hours while police carried out investigations at the scene.

Traffic was diverted at Welburn.

Tributes have been flooding in to the Gazette & Herald from friends, colleagues and former pupils of Miss Kennedy, a well-respected teacher who only a few weeks ago was the special guest at a reunion of the former St Andrew's School, Malton.

The Rev Rachel Benson, vicar of Crambe where Miss Kennedy was churchwarden and organist for many years, said the whole community had been stunned by her tragic death.

''Molly was so well loved by many people. She would do anything for anyone - nothing was too much trouble for her. She was a very popular lady and a truly lovely person.'' Mrs Benson will be conducting the private cremation at Octon Crematorium which will be followed on Wednesday, January 24 by a service of thanksgiving at Crambe Church at 2.30pm.

Romey Willis, of Maiden Greve, Malton, who like many other former pupils of her generation had kept in close contact with Miss Kennedy, said: ''She kept the reunions going and we were all pleased to see her taking such a keen interest in all her old pupils.

She was so sprightly right up to her death.

''She still did country dancing and had only recently bought a new piano.

Miss Kennedy was a wonderful person as a teacher.

''Over the years she taught many hundreds of girls at St Andrew's and they all held her in such high esteem both then and later in life. For her to have died in this way was so tragic.'' Miss Gwen Allen, St Andrew's former head who died two years ago at the age of 101, had described Miss Kennedy as ''a long-time faithful friend both to her and the school''.

An old girl of St Andrew's, Barbara Allaker, said: ''Miss Kennedy had many interests in her life. As well as being a wonderful teacher of history and maths, she had a passion for music, travel, photography, country dancing, gardening and even cricket.

''Her death is a tragic loss which has touched many people throughout Ryedale who knew her in the many organisations with which she was involved. She was an institution.'' Despite having been retired for many years she still regularly wrote to her former pupils and nearly 100 had joined her at the former pupils' reunion at the Forest and Vale Hotel last November 30 - St Andrew's Day.

Miss Kennedy's neighbour, Mrs Pat Barker, had gone with her to a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace two years ago when she had been chosen to attend because of her links spanning some 60 years with local churches.

''She was an amazing lady - so helpful and she hadn't a wrong word to say about anyone. She was someone who was loved by so many people with whom she had been in contact and whose lives she had influenced. To me she was like a second mother.'' Another long standing friend and former pupil, Mary Newton, said Miss Kennedy was a caller and teacher of country and folk dancing at the village halls at Scampston and Welburn, while she played the accordion. ''She was a wonderful person - so full of life and a great friend to so many people.'' Miss Kennedy had spent the day of the accident with a long standing friend, Mrs Heather Dale, having lunch at her home at Crambe before going to the church to take down the Christmas decorations.

Mrs Dale said that as she got out of her car to catch the bus she had told her to beware of the traffic. ''The last thing I said to her was to take care crossing the road.'' The accident had happened minutes after Mrs Dale had left the scene.

Lance Thompson, clerk to Crambe and Whitwell Parish Council, said its members had in the past urged highway authorities to explore ways of making the A64 at Whitwell safer for pedestrians and the accident would renew their calls.

''The A64 is a very dangerous road.

We have been nagging the highway authorities because crossing the road to get a bus is tantamount to an act of suicide. Drivers seem to lose their heads once they get on to this part of the dual-carriageway - they get a racetrack mentality.'' He added: ''We did succeed in having some footpath signs put up but ideally we want to see a bridge built over the A64 or an underpass to enable people to cross safely because many local people do cross the road to get to the bus stops.'' Until two months ago Miss Kennedy had her own car, said Mr Thompson, but it was off the road following an accident.

Jo Denton, chairman of the parish council, said the stretch of the A64 between Welburn and Barton Hill was "atrocious", adding: "I never let my teenage sons cross that road - you have only probably three seconds to get across four lanes of traffic. We have asked the bus companies to send vehicles into the villages but apparently it won't work because there is nowhere for them to turn."

County Coun Mike Knaggs, Malton's representative at County Hall and a veteran campaigner for improvements to the A64, said the constant changing between single and dual carriageway made the road hazardous.

"There's no doubt about it - the A64 needs to be all dual carriageway in the interests of safety and the economy.

The only way to solve it is be spending big money on it. How many fatalities will there have to be before something is done?" he asked.

Lt Commander Peter Milner, who lives in Whitwell-on-the-Hill near where the retired teacher was killed, said: "Car speeds coming from York make crossing this dual carriageway from the bus stop opposite the entrance to Whitwell impossible and extremely dangerous.

"I feel very strongly that urgent action needs to be taken. We have just lost a good lady and pensioners should not have to take their life in their hands simply to catch a bus."

Lt Commander Milner reckons motorists speed down the hill at more than 80mph and is now calling for the area to be a 40mph zone.

He added: "Something must be done to stop these needless deaths.

Speed cameras are effective throughout the rest of the country so why can't we have them in Ryedale?"

Police say there are no accident black spots in North Yorkshire to justify using speed cameras. Officials from the Highways Agency, who are in charge of safety on the A64, said they are meeting residents to address their fears.

Area performance manager for the Government agency, Antony Firth, said the trunk road is at the top of their list of priorities.

He said: "We have had contact from concerned residents in the area and Roger Wantling, who is in charge of this route, has met with them today (Tuesday).

"This is a priority for us and we are acting but I am not in a position to say what we are or we aren't doing.

"We will be in consultation with the local community, police and county council over what measures are going to be taken."

Year of tragedy on A64

Jan 29: An elderly couple sustain serious injuries when their vehicle collides with another and overturns near Bramham Cross.

Feb 28: A four-car pile-up between York and Tadcaster closes the A64 for three hours.

March 7: A man escapes with minor injuries after a lorry ploughs in to the back of his car mangling it beyond recognition.

July 15: A backseat passenger is killed when the car she is in crashes into a telegraph pole near Bilbrough.

July 23: A woman cyclist is killed trying to cross the A64 near Flaxton.

July 31: Two young women have a lucky escape when their car overturns and lands on its roof in a field behind Merton Grange.

August 5: A motorcyclist sustains serious injuries after colliding with a car just north of Towthorpe Moor Lane. The road is closed for four hours.

September 9: Twelve people are injured in a four-car pile-up near East Heslerton.

September 20: A man travelling to work is killed when his three-wheeled motorbike collides with a lorry between Hopgrove roundabout and Grimston Bar.

September 21: An elderly woman is killed in a four-car smash near Staxton.

September 23: A teenager is killed and his girlfriend seriously injured when the car he is driving careers off the road near the Fulford interchange.

September 29: A motorist suffers head and chest injuries and has to be cut out of his car when it rolls onto its side near Malton.

October 20: A five-car smash during rush-hour leaves nine people injured and causes traffic chaos for hundreds of motorists.

October 31: Motorists are stuck in a 10mile traffic jam after a crash involving five vehicles near the Tadcaster junction.

November 27: A teenage driver suffers serious head injuries and is described as being "lucky to be alive" after a crash with another car at Ganton.

December 8: A pedestrian is killed when she tries to cross the A64 between York and Tadcaster.

January 5: An elderly woman is killed trying to cross the road at Whitwell Hill.