A MYSTERY driver could hold vital clues about the last moments of a young Polish cyclist killed in a crash on a York bridge.

Despite a battle to save his life, Adam Lapinski, 22, died in hospital hours after his bike collided with a car as he cycled towards the city centre along a busy commuter route on Tuesday afternoon.

Police yesterday confirmed the dead man was a Polish national from Ancress Walk, near Bishopthorpe Road, in York, who had moved to England together with his family within the last year.

They are now trying to trace a "larger vehicle" which witnesses say was travelling over Holgate Road bridge - known locally as the Iron Bridge - towards the centre of York at the same time as the crash, also involving a red Citroen C3, which killed Mr Lapinski at around 2.20pm on Tuesday.

"It is believed that the driver of this vehicle may have passed or possibly overtaken Mr Lapinski just seconds before the collision with the oncoming Citroen, which was heading out of the city," said a North Yorkshire Police spokesman.

"The driver of this vehicle is being urged to contract the police as he may have key information to help the investigation."

However, they stressed this driver is purely being asked to come forward as a witness, as is anybody else who saw the crash, which led to police closing Holgate Road at its junction with Blossom Street and Dalton Terrace for three hours afterwards.

Anybody with information should call Traffic Constable Danielle Hyde at the Central Area Road Policing Group on 0845 6060247.