A MAN has died after a fatal crash at a North Yorkshire stately home.

The motorist was driving his light blue BMW along The Stray from the direction of the A64 towards Slingsby when the car hit the right hand side of the historic stone arch at Castle Howard in Ryedale.

Police, fire crews and the ambulance service were called to the Carmirre Gate at about 11am yesterday morning.

The male driver, the only occupant of the vehicle, was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

The crash marked the third fatality at the blackspot in two years.

Speaking at the scene, Sgt Nigel Atkinson, from North Yorkshire's central area policing group, said: "The male driver of the BMW drove from the direction of the A64 at high speeds and he suffered fatal injuries. He has yet to be identified and we are investigating the cause of his death."

Estate gamekeeper Sam Newton was working in nearby woods when he heard a bang.

Sam, 28, said: "I didn't see the car because I was working among some trees but I heard a car coming down the road.

"Then there was a bang and I ran over to see what had happened. As soon as I saw the wreckage I called the emergency services."

A spokeswoman for Castle Howard said: "We are not ready to comment at this stage. We are sure North Yorkshire Police are sorting matters in their very capable hands."

The Stray road was closed for several hours yesterday while the road was cleared, causing some traffic delays.

The gateway on the Castle Howard estate, which narrows into a single lane, has been the scene of three fatal crashes in the past two years.

In November 2005, Andrew Fennell, a 43-year-old IT manager of Ox Close, Stamford Bridge, died when the 4x4 Nissan Torano he was driving smashed into the arch.

Only three months prior to that, 23-year-old student, Lawrence Koppert, of Sherburn, near Malton, tragically took his own life by smashing his car into the archway.

Former York College student Nicola Cundall narrowly escaped death when the Renault Clio she was driving collided with an oncoming vehicle near the stately home in 2004.

Nicola lay in hospital unconscious for two months following the accident.

When she regained consciousness, doctors broke the devastating news that she had lost the use of her legs because of her terrible spinal injuries.