Two killed in horror smash

The driver and passenger of a red Peugeot 106 died when their vehicle was in collision with a white street cleaning tanker.

The front half of the car ended up under the wheels of the lorry, on the A1237 between Haxby and Wigginton Road roundabouts.

Debris from the crash was scattered over the carriageway, and the road between the two roundabouts was closed.

Traffic built up outside Nestl Rowntree in Haxby Road as drivers were forced to take long detours to reach their destinations.

An ambulance crew took the driver of the tanker to hospital. An ambulance service spokeswoman said the driver suffered minor injuries.

No one else was involved in the accident, and it is not believed any other vehicles were involved.

Firefighters were called to the scene to free the bodies of the two victims from the wrecked car.

They were not expected to finish the job for several hours.

After the collision, the tanker, which had a long pipe down one side, came to rest partially across the centre of the carriageway facing towards Clifton Moor. The red car was facing the other way and partially underneath the lorry.

Road conditions were normal at the time of the crash.

Traffic Sergeant Paul Stephenson, who led the police team at the scene, said there was nothing inherently dangerous about the ring road in that area.

He said police officers had to gather evidence to establish what had happened and the cause of the crash, though he appreciated that members of the public needed to use the road, which linked the major shopping centres of Clifton Moor and Monks Cross. "We will get the road clear as soon as possible," he promised, but warned that it could be some hours after the crash before traffic was allowed back on the road.

The names of the two victims were not known when the Evening Press went to press this afternoon.

Police will not release details until after their next of kin and relatives have been informed.

Updated: 11:46 Saturday, April 16, 2005