TWO people died and others were injured on York's outer ring road as a multiple collision forced police to divert hundreds of rush-hour motorists.

Emergency services were called to the scene on the A1237 near the junction with Moor Lane in Woodthorpe just before 5pm yesterday, bringing traffic to a standstill.

The road remained closed until about 11.15 pm, as crime scene and accident investigators examined the site to help determine what caused the accident.

The crash involved at least four vehicles, a silver Ford Orion, a red Ford Escort, a green Honda Jazz and a white Ford Transit van, with Kelvin Bathrooms written on the side.

The Orion and Escort were waiting to turn right from the A1237 into Moor Lane, with the Honda Jazz travelling behind them, and the Transit coming in the opposite direction.

Sergeant Jim Turney, of York Police, said: "It is believed that the Honda Jazz collided with the rear of the red Escort which in turn collided with the silver Orion. The white Transit hit the grass verge at the junction, returned into the carriageway and then collided with a central pedestrian island, overturned and the occupants ejected."

Both male occupants of the van were killed.

At the scene, Sergeant Neil Hallewell, of York Police, said the initial report was that two accidents had occurred, but they were so close it was thought one led to the other.

Traffic was re-routed from the A64 Copmanthorpe junction and from the B1224 Wetherby Road to prevent motorists using the A1237.

One of the diversions had to be re-thought after heavy goods vehicles brought chaos to the village of Askham Bryan.

Sgt Hallewell said only light vehicles were then allowed through the village while HGV drivers were told to find another route.

"We had to bring in the night traffic police cover early because we have had so many units committed," he said.

"There were so many vehicles involved and so many witnesses plus the fact that we needed the road block staffed as well. We also contacted highways at City of York Council who did a sterling job in signing road blocks.

"The traffic at one point was backing up to Bilbrough. It has caused some people quite serious delays. But as the evening has gone on the traffic lightened, and that A64 backlog has cleared."

An Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: "We were called at 16.49pm to the A1237 of the ring road. One collision involved a van which hit the central reservation and a lamp-post. There were two fatalities. Both were male."

In the three-car collision, the spokeswoman said: "There were two people injured. Both were walking wounded," said the spokeswoman.

"One declined to be taken to hospital. The other was taken to York Hospital."

Police want to hear from any witnesses, particularly from a motorcyclist who stopped at the scene. Witnesses should phone York Police on 0845 6060247.

POLICE were called to the outer ring road today, when a man was found hanging from a tree.

A motorist on the A1237 spotted the body at about 4.30am, near the junction with the B1224, and called the emergency services.

Police removed the body from the tree, and paramedics declared the man dead at the scene.

Updated: 09:53 Wednesday, June 29, 2005